This Aporia Magazine article talks about the focus of Muslims on the Palestinian/Israeli conflict on the concept of honor and humiliation.
An answer was stated recently by Twitter user Yeyo: Muslims see the foundation of Israel, the Nakba, and Israel’s multiple war victories as a humiliation of the Muslim nation. And since Islam (particularly the branch of Islam practiced in the MENA region) is an honour culture, that humiliation cannot be forgotten and must be avenged. Yeyo informed me that he was given this answer by an Arab gentleman with whom he’d discussed the conflict a few years ago.
The honour culture of Islam, which is evident in practices such as honour killings and blasphemy riots, likely has roots in the customs of pre-Islamic Arab tribes. 2
What specific evidence is there that it shapes Muslims’ views of Israel/Palestine today?
There is a strong tendency in this particular conflict for people to project onto Palestinians/Hamas the same motives that they themselves have for opposing Israel/Jews in general, or attributing to them ideas about self-rule and government that they themselves have. In a very general sense this may be true. The peoples of the world generally prefer to be oppressed by the corrupt people of their own tribe(s) than outsiders. In that way, Hamas, and Basque separatists, and Sunnis, and various right-wing and left-wing competitors in Latin America are much the same. We'll take our chances with our own. Get those other bastards out of here. It does rapidly get weird when one or more tribes in a nation allied with the conquering neighbor or even the colonisers and had good jobs, but are now cast out in favor of their historical rival/enemy tribe. Group A says "Finally, we are independent," while Group B says "Not so fast."
It can get even silly in Western countries. I am reminded of Michael...Michael...liberal filmmaker, did the Columbine movie and something about the wonders of Cuban health care...
Hey, I'm actually pleased I can't remember his full name. If you think of it don't tell me. It is like the lyric in "Streets of Laredo," Don't mention his name and his name will pass on. Anyway, after 9/11 he wrote this screed to the various groups more or less sympathetic to the terrorists telling them that they shouldn't have bombed New York, because those people hadn't voted for Bush. Those people weren't the problem. As if voting for Bush was anywhere in the top ten motives of the suicide bombers. It takes a special kind of narcissism to think like that. They hate America for the same reasons that I do. What else could it be?
I see this projection constantly about Hamas and the Palestinians. Because they might theoretically have a semi-respectable reason for resenting the Israelis, similar to Tibet, or the Quebecois, or even the Americans at the time of our revolution, that must be the reason that they actually do have. I'm not seeing it. "You don't like school because of all the liberal authors they make you read, right, Cody?" "Oh, oh sure! Can I stay home today?"
It pays to listen to what people actually say.
6 comments:
I know the semantic similarity between "Hamas" and "Haman" is coincidental, but both seem to demonstrate the same agenda.
Assistant Village Idiot: that humiliation cannot be forgotten and must be avenged.
It’s hardly unique to Islamic society. The American South refused (and often still refuses) to admit the folly of sending their children to die defending chattel slavery, spending generations denying it, leaving the South riven by racial animosity. The paroxysms of the German Nazis is largely tied to the humiliations associated with losing the Great War and its aftermath, leading to the devastation of Europe, and the genocide of the Jews. Chinese nationalism is still colored by the “Century of Humiliation.”
Assistant Village Idiot: that humiliation cannot be forgotten and must be avenged.
The counterpart and restoration of humiliation is pride. French pride led to the Napoleonic Wars, millions dead (and the spread of Republican ideals). Japanese imperialism in the 20th century was largely due to their sense of pride and entitlement, leading to their final defeat in the First Atomic War. Crassus met his end in battle because of his excessive pride, his renowned greed resulting in his being put to death by having molten gold poured down his throat (purportedly). King George III's pride disallowed him from compromising with the American colonialists, leading to an unnecessary war and the loss of the colonies.
Et cetera.
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EMM Cairns Roofers:
AFAIK, none of us lives in or near Brisbane. Or are you a spambot?
That was my guess. I left it there for amusement. Usually I delete them.
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