Heroes and Martyrs of Palestine: The Politics of National Commemoration (Cambridge Middle East Studies, Series Number 27)

Many decades have passed since the Palestinian national movement began its political and military struggle. In that time, poignant memorials at massacre sites, a palimpsest of posters of young heroes and martyrs, sorrowful reminiscences about lost loved ones, and wistful images of young men and women who fought as guerrillas, have all flourished in Palestinian refugee camps in Lebanon and in the Occupied Palestinian Territories. Heroes and Martyrs of Palestine tells the story of how dispossessed Palestinians have commemorated their past, and how through their dynamic everyday narrations, their nation has been made even without the institutional memory-making of a state. Bringing ethnography to political science, Khalili invites us to see Palestinian nationalism in its proper international context and traces its affinities with Third Worldist movements of its time, while tapping a rich and oft-ignored seam of Palestinian voices, histories, and memories. Cover......Page 1 Half-title......Page 3 Series-title......Page 4 Title......Page 5 Copyright......Page 6 Dedication......Page 7 Contents......Page 9 Acknowledgments......Page 11 Abbreviations......Page 13 1 Introduction......Page 15 Nationalist memories......Page 17 Histories, memories, stories......Page 18 Approaching Palestinian nationalism......Page 20 The plan......Page 23 2 Transnational movements and discourses......Page 25 "A Brave Music": the celebration of nations and their heroes......Page 27 "Preserved in anthems, in flags and at the bank": domestication of heroes in states......Page 35 "Permanent battles of history": transnational Islamist Heroism......Page 40 Trauma drama: the human rights/humanitarian victim subject......Page 47 Conclusions......Page 52 3 Palestinian lives and local institutions in the camps of Lebanon......Page 55 The Nakba (1948)......Page 56 After the exodus (1948–1969)......Page 58 The Thawra in the Palestinian camps (1969–1982)......Page 61 The years of war and destruction (1982–1993)......Page 66 After the Oslo Accords (1993)......Page 68 Silencing Palestinian pasts......Page 74 4 Forms of commemoration......Page 79 History-telling......Page 80 Images......Page 83 Pedagogy......Page 84 Paper and electronic media......Page 88 Naming......Page 93 Organization of time......Page 95 Organization of spaces......Page 96 Ceremonial gatherings......Page 100 Conclusions......Page 102 5 Contents of commemoration: narratives of heroism, suffering, and sumud......Page 104 Contents of commemoration......Page 105 Heroic narratives......Page 106 Narratives of sumud......Page 113 Tragic narratives......Page 117 Conclusions......Page 125 6 Guerrillas and martyrs: the evolution of national "heroes"......Page 127 Commemorating martyrs for international audiences......Page 129 Commemorative photographs and murals......Page 131 Naming of people, institutions, and events after martyrs......Page 136 Martyrs' funerals......Page 138 Martyrs' mothers......Page 141 Archetypal martyrs......Page 145 National cemeteries and memorials......Page 149 Quotidian memory places......Page 151 Martyrs as heroes, martyrs as victims......Page 153 Fida'iyyin as iconic national heroes......Page 156 From fida'yi to martyr......Page 159 Conclusions......Page 162 7 Between battles and massacres: commemorating violent events......Page 164 Battles as icons of militant nationalism......Page 165 Heroic defeats......Page 169 Shifting between battles and massacres......Page 173 Massacre as a metaphor for the Palestinian predicament......Page 178 Commemorating Tal al-Za'tar and Sabra/Shatila......Page 182 A palimpsest of massacres......Page 190 Polyvalent events: War(s) of the Camps......Page 194 Conclusions......Page 199 8 Commemoration in the Occupied Palestinian Territories......Page 201 The State's biography of the nation......Page 204 Oppositional heroic narratives......Page 209 Victims in NGO and solidarity discourses......Page 218 Conclusions......Page 225 Form and content of commemorations......Page 228 Available transnational discourses and local political institutions......Page 232 Commemoration as performance......Page 236 Evaluating tragic, heroic, and sumud narratives......Page 237 The enduring resonance of national biographies......Page 239 Primary and Secondary Sources......Page 242 Index......Page 267 Cambridge Middle East Studies 27......Page 275 Cover 1 Half-title 3 Series-title 4 Title 5 Copyright 6 Dedication 7 Contents 9 Acknowledgments 11 Abbreviations 13 1 Introduction 15 Nationalist memories 17 Histories, memories, stories 18 Approaching Palestinian nationalism 20 The plan 23 2 Transnational movements and discourses 25 "A Brave Music": the celebration of nations and their heroes 27 "Preserved in anthems, in flags and at the bank": domestication of heroes in states 35 "Permanent battles of history": transnational Islamist Heroism 40 Trauma drama: the human rights/humanitarian victim subject 47 Conclusions 52 3 Palestinian lives and local institutions in the camps of Lebanon 55 The Nakba (1948) 56 After the exodus (1948–1969) 58 The Thawra in the Palestinian camps (1969–1982) 61 The years of war and destruction (1982–1993) 66 After the Oslo Accords (1993) 68 Silencing Palestinian pasts 74 4 Forms of commemoration 79 History-telling 80 Images 83 Pedagogy 84 Paper and electronic media 88 Naming 93 Organization of time 95 Organization of spaces 96 Ceremonial gatherings 100 Conclusions 102 5 Contents of commemoration: narratives of heroism, suffering, and sumud 104 Contents of commemoration 105 Heroic narratives 106 Narratives of sumud 113 Tragic narratives 117 Conclusions 125 6 Guerrillas and martyrs: the evolution of national "heroes" 127 Commemorating martyrs for international audiences 129 Commemoration of martyrs 131 Commemorative photographs and murals 131 Naming of people, institutions, and events after martyrs 136 Martyrs' funerals 138 Martyrs' mothers 141 Archetypal martyrs 145 National cemeteries and memorials 149 Quotidian memory places 151 Martyrs as heroes, martyrs as victims 153 Fida'iyyin as iconic national heroes 156 From fida'yi to martyr 159 Conclusions 162 7 Between battles and massacres: commemorating violent events 164 Battles as icons of militant nationalism 165 Heroic defeats 169 Shifting between battles and massacres 173 Massacre as a metaphor for the Palestinian predicament 178 Commemorating Tal al-Za'tar and Sabra/Shatila 182 A palimpsest of massacres 190 Polyvalent events: War(s) of the Camps 194 Conclusions 199 8 Commemoration in the Occupied Palestinian Territories 201 The State's biography of the nation 204 Oppositional heroic narratives 209 Victims in NGO and solidarity discourses 218 Conclusions 225 9 Conclusions 228 Form and content of commemorations 228 Available transnational discourses and local political institutions 232 Commemoration as performance 236 Evaluating tragic, heroic, and sumud narratives 237 The enduring resonance of national biographies 239 Bibliography 242 Newspapers, Periodicals and Factional Organs (dates indicate years reviewed) 242 Primary and Secondary Sources 242 Index 267 Cambridge Middle East Studies 27 275 "The history of the Palestinians over the last half century has been one of turmoil, a people living under occupation or exiled from their homeland. Theirs has been at times a tragic story, but also one of resistance, heroism, and nationalist aspiration. Laleh Khalili's fascinating and unsettling book is based on her experiences in the Lebanese refugee camps, where ceremonies and commemorations of key moments in the history of the struggle are a significant part of their political life. It is these commemorations of the past, according to Dr. Khalili, that have helped to forge a sense of nationhood and strategies of struggle amongst the disenfranchised Palestinian people, both in Lebanon and beyond. She also analyzes how, in recent years, as discourses of liberation and rights have changed in the international community, and as the character of local institutions has evolved, there has been a shift in the representation of Palestinian nationalism from the heroic to the tragic mode. This trend is exemplified through the commemoration of martyrs and their elevation to tragic yet iconic figures in the Palestinian collective memory."--Jacket