I shall certainly send him flowers on his birthday . . . if he is still alive. Tulips -- Iran's national flower and symbol of martyrdom and revolution -- if possible, though they are out of season in October.
BTW, this is what Jean Genet said about love and politics <http://montages.blogspot.com/2006/05/jean-genet-they-are-in-right-because-i.html>:
"Le choix que l'on fait d'une communauté privilégiée, en dehors de la naissance alors que l'appartenance à ce peuple est native, ce choix s'opère par la grâce d'une adhésion non raisonnée, non que la justice n'y ait sa part, mais cette justice et toute la défense de cette communauté se font en vertu d'un attrait sentimental, peut-être même sensible, sensuel; je suis français, mais entièrement, sans jugement, je défends les Palestiniens. Ils ont le droit pour eux puisque je les aime. Mais les aimerais-je si l'injustice n'en faisait pas un peuple vagabond?" -- Jean Genet, "Quatre heures à Chatila"
"You can select a particular community other than that of your birth, whereas you are born into a people; this selection is based on an irrational affinity, which is not to say that justice has no role, but this justice and the entire defense of this community take place because of an emotional -- perhaps intuitive, sensual -- attraction; I am French, but I defend the Palestinians whole heartedly and automatically. They are in the right because I love them. But would I love them if injustice had not turned them into a wandering people?" -- Jean Genet, "Four Hours in Chatila"
-- Yoshie <http://montages.blogspot.com/> <http://mrzine.org> <http://monthlyreview.org/>