“People of Kufa [Iraq], I see heads that have ripened and are ready for harvesting. They are mine! I can almost see blood glistening between turbans and beards.” The chilling lines come from the inaugural speech by the Umayyad appointed governor of Iraq, Al-Hajjaj Yusuf Al-Thaqafi (694-714). A feared and hated ruler, blasted by Arabs and Muslims as a blood-soaked tyrant, he was also known for his erudite prose, speeches and poems. Despite his reputation, Hajjaj’s poetics remains popular in the Arab world today and a TV show about his life has been made. Examining his speeches, prose and poetry and understanding it in the context of his rule, Pamela Klasova’s new book The Eloquent Tyrant: Speech and Empire in […]
