article
'The divine impatience': ritual, narrative, and symbolism in the practice of martyrdom in Palestine
Medical anthropology quarterly • 12 (1) • Published In 1998 • Pages: 8-30
By: Pitcher, Linda M..
Abstract
In this article, Pitcher examines the ritual, narrative, and symbolic dimensions of martyrdom (SHAHADA) by Palestinian activist youth (SHEBAB) in an effort to understand why they do it. 'What pushes someone to stand before his or her own purposeful destruction? (p. 11)' She recounts verbatim several stories of martyrdom told to her by mothers, sisters, and wives, as acts of bearing witness. She employs theories of the body as a site of social inscription, liminality, Lacanian subjectivity, and sacrifice to try and explain martyrdom, but admits she can only achieve a fragmentary understanding of it, because ultimately it is an act that defies reason.
- HRAF PubDate
- 2005
- Region
- Middle East
- Sub Region
- Middle East
- Document Type
- article
- Evaluation
- Creator Type
- Ethnologist
- Document Rating
- 4: Excellent Secondary Data
- 5: Excellent Primary Data
- Analyst
- Ian Skoggard ; 2004
- Field Date
- 1991
- Coverage Date
- 1989-1996
- Coverage Place
- Occupied Territories, Israel
- Notes
- Linda M. Pitcher
- Includes bibliographical references (p. 29-30)
- LCCN
- 84643999
- LCSH
- Palestinian Arabs