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Graffiti mural in Nazareth, Israel, depicting the Palestinian-American journalist Shireen Abu Akleh, who was killed by the Israeli military during a raid in Jenin on 11 May 2022. Abu Akleh was a Palestinian Christian, and has been hailed as a martyr in Palestinian society since her death.
Martyrdom in Palestinian society
In the Israeli–Palestinian conflict, the term shahid (Arabic: شهيد, lit.'martyr') is used by Palestinians to refer to any killed Palestinian civilian or fighter, regardless of their religious affiliation, and regardless of whether or not their killing was the result of a targeted attack.
Initially, the concept of self-sacrifice for a cause was popular among Palestinian fedayeen, who were actively engaged in a military struggle against Israel and the Israeli occupation, with the concept peaking in the 1960s.[1] Gradually, the concept adopted an Islamic meaning and became more widespread after the First Intifada in 1987.
Various Palestinian militant groups, including Hamas, Palestinian Islamic Jihad, and other Islamist groups, have been influenced by and have helped disseminate the culture of martyrdom. They perceive martyrdom as the ultimate sacrifice for their cause and often cite it as a moral justification for engaging in what are known as so-called martyrdom operations, such as suicide bombings.[2][3] After the collapse of the Oslo Accords and at the beginning of the Second Intifada, popular interest in these martyrdom operations grew.[1] During this period, martyrdom evolved beyond its religious connotations, becoming an ideal for the resistance identity of secular Palestinian nationalists.[4]
Palestinian political parties and non-governmental organizations promote commemorative narratives;[5] nationalistic factions have used it as a political tool to influence public opinion.[5] Education, visual media, community events, ceremonies, leaflets, and posters throughout the Palestinian territories contribute to positive cultural conceptions of martyrdom, portraying killed Palestinians as part of the struggle against Israel's military occupation.
^ abAbufarha, Nasser (2009). The making of a human bomb: an ethnography of Palestinian resistance. The cultures and practice of violence series. Durham, N.C.: Duke University Press. ISBN 978-0-8223-4428-5.
^Hatina, M. (2005). Theology and power in the Middle East: Palestinian martyrdom in a comparative perspective. Journal of Political Ideologies, 10(3), 241–267. doi:10.1080/13569310500244289
^Meir Litvak (2010) "Martyrdom is Life": Jihad and Martyrdom in the Ideology of Hamas, Studies in Conflict & Terrorism, 33:8, 716–734, DOI: 10.1080/1057610X.2010.494170
^Saarnivaara, M. (2008-09-26). "Suicide Campaigns as a Strategic Choice: The Case of Hamas". Policing. 2 (4): 431. doi:10.1093/police/pan061. ISSN 1752-4512.
^ abCite error: The named reference :6 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
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