Secular/Religious Myths of Violence: The Case of Nizārī Ismailis of the Alamūt Period
In: Studia IslamicaSearch for other papers by Daryoush Mohammad Poor in
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Abstract
Contemporary narratives of violence, particularly in the aftermaths of the most recent expressions of violence by the so-called ‘Islamist’ groups have rekindled the false dichotomy of religious versus secular violence. Such a deforming prism which has also become dominant in political science traces the origins of violence to faith communities in medieval times and, among others, to Nizārī Ismailis, with whom the myth of the assassins have been associated. Despite the ground-breaking works of prominent scholars of Ismaili studies, the myth of the assassins still remains powerful in some disciplines including political theory. This paper deconstructs this narrative and attempts to highlight the agencies of individuals and communities, as human agents, as opposed to essentialist narratives in which faith, or a particular faith, in its abstraction, becomes responsible for the outbreak of violence. Moving beyond reductionist narratives of violence is critical for breaking the vicious cycle of violence which besets human societies around the globe.
Résumé
Les récits contemporains de la violence, en particulier à la suite des plus récentes manifestations de violence de groupes dits « islamistes », ont ravivé la fausse dichotomie violence religieuse versus violence profane. Un tel prisme déformant, qui est également devenu dominant dans la science politique, fait remonter les origines de la violence aux communautés confessionnelles à l’époque médiévale, en particulier les Ismaéliens Nizārī (entre autres) avec lesquels le mythe des assassins est associé. En dépit de travaux novateurs d’éminents spécialistes des études ismaéliennes, le mythe des assassins reste tenace dans certaines disciplines, notamment la théorie politique. Cet article déconstruit ce récit et tente de mettre en évidence les instances des individus et des communautés, en tant qu’agents humains, par opposition aux récits essentialistes dans lesquels la foi, ou une foi en particulier, dans son abstraction, devient responsable du déclenchement de la violence. Aller au-delà des discours réductionnistes sur la violence est essentiel pour briser le cercle vicieux de la violence qui sévit dans les sociétés humaines à travers le monde.
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| All Time | Past 365 days | Past 30 Days | |
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| Abstract Views | 1738 | 147 | 9 |
| Full Text Views | 165 | 3 | 1 |
| PDF Views & Downloads | 194 | 7 | 2 |
Secular/Religious Myths of Violence: The Case of Nizārī Ismailis of the Alamūt Period
In: Studia IslamicaSearch for other papers by Daryoush Mohammad Poor in
Current site
Google Scholar
PubMed
Abstract
Contemporary narratives of violence, particularly in the aftermaths of the most recent expressions of violence by the so-called ‘Islamist’ groups have rekindled the false dichotomy of religious versus secular violence. Such a deforming prism which has also become dominant in political science traces the origins of violence to faith communities in medieval times and, among others, to Nizārī Ismailis, with whom the myth of the assassins have been associated. Despite the ground-breaking works of prominent scholars of Ismaili studies, the myth of the assassins still remains powerful in some disciplines including political theory. This paper deconstructs this narrative and attempts to highlight the agencies of individuals and communities, as human agents, as opposed to essentialist narratives in which faith, or a particular faith, in its abstraction, becomes responsible for the outbreak of violence. Moving beyond reductionist narratives of violence is critical for breaking the vicious cycle of violence which besets human societies around the globe.
Résumé
Les récits contemporains de la violence, en particulier à la suite des plus récentes manifestations de violence de groupes dits « islamistes », ont ravivé la fausse dichotomie violence religieuse versus violence profane. Un tel prisme déformant, qui est également devenu dominant dans la science politique, fait remonter les origines de la violence aux communautés confessionnelles à l’époque médiévale, en particulier les Ismaéliens Nizārī (entre autres) avec lesquels le mythe des assassins est associé. En dépit de travaux novateurs d’éminents spécialistes des études ismaéliennes, le mythe des assassins reste tenace dans certaines disciplines, notamment la théorie politique. Cet article déconstruit ce récit et tente de mettre en évidence les instances des individus et des communautés, en tant qu’agents humains, par opposition aux récits essentialistes dans lesquels la foi, ou une foi en particulier, dans son abstraction, devient responsable du déclenchement de la violence. Aller au-delà des discours réductionnistes sur la violence est essentiel pour briser le cercle vicieux de la violence qui sévit dans les sociétés humaines à travers le monde.
| All Time | Past 365 days | Past 30 Days | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Abstract Views | 1738 | 147 | 9 |
| Full Text Views | 165 | 3 | 1 |
| PDF Views & Downloads | 194 | 7 | 2 |
