This thesis explores the relationship between Kurdish publications and other informal cultural activities and Kurdish identity in Syria under the rule of Hafez al-Assad. In order to Arabise the...Show moreThis thesis explores the relationship between Kurdish publications and other informal cultural activities and Kurdish identity in Syria under the rule of Hafez al-Assad. In order to Arabise the Kurds, Hafez al-Assad’s government decided to restrict the Kurds’ cultural choices by forcing them to accept the Arabic language and culture instead of their own traditions. In response, Syrian Kurds resisted in many ways to defend their rights, such as promoting Kurdish education, publications, and cultural rallies, which influenced the construction of different Kurdish identities in Syria. Mainstream Kurdish political parties were the major leading power in educational activities and cultural gatherings, which intended to build a gentle ethnic identity that combined the Kurdish peculiarity and the Syrian commonality. By contrast, Syrian Kurdish publications produced by the nationalist intellectuals expressed a more radical national identity. In addition, some Kurdish activists, who were dissatisfied with the leadership of the Kurdish parties, also displayed a radical Kurdish identity with a nationalist tendency in Newroz celebrations. Although Kurdish identities influenced by different powers were different, there were still similarities among them. They all chose cultural activities as their way to emphasise Kurdish consciousness. Meanwhile, these activities enabled Kurds with different identities to communicate with each other, which contributed to the trend of the rise of a more collective Kurdish identity in Syria.Show less
The works of Gisèle Halimi, and Brigitte Smadja each challenge the implied historical rupture constructed between the colonial and the post-colonial. In their works, they use multiple characters to...Show moreThe works of Gisèle Halimi, and Brigitte Smadja each challenge the implied historical rupture constructed between the colonial and the post-colonial. In their works, they use multiple characters to subvert the accepted singular narrative of colonialism and its impacts, thereby highlighting the multiple and intersecting identities of all participants in the colonial discourse. This thesis aims to review the works constructed by these authors, placing great consideration on each of the authors’ own “intrasubjective complexity”, the way that their intersecting identities interact to formulate identity, and the impact that this has on their portrayal of characters.Show less
This thesis investigates a representation of Iraqi identity through artistic practice, by focusing on the works of Iraqi visual artist Sadik Kwais Alfraji. Through an extensive analysis of thirteen...Show moreThis thesis investigates a representation of Iraqi identity through artistic practice, by focusing on the works of Iraqi visual artist Sadik Kwais Alfraji. Through an extensive analysis of thirteen artworks produced between 1982 and 2014, the thesis explores how the artist conceives his Iraqi-ness and fashions it within his creations. By combining a narrativist approach to the study of identity, relying on the writings of Stuart Hall and Margaret Somers, with multiple interviews conducted with Alfraji, this work demonstrates how the artist’s Iraqi identity results from an interplay of “inside and outside” of Iraq, both in literal and metaphorical terms. Moreover, by examining how crucial themes, such as war an freedom, are portrayed within Alfraji’s artworks, this thesis shows how the artist’s self-understanding and sense of belonging are deeply influenced by the history of his homeland.Show less
This thesis investigates ‘pinkwashing’ – the allegation that the Israeli state and its allies portray Israeli society as homogenously tolerant towards lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer ...Show moreThis thesis investigates ‘pinkwashing’ – the allegation that the Israeli state and its allies portray Israeli society as homogenously tolerant towards lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer (LGBTQ) people, and portray Palestinian society as homogenously intolerant towards LGBTQ people, in order to improve the Israeli state’s image abroad and justify its violations of Palestinian rights. Using evidence from interviews with LGBTQ Israelis and Palestinians, as well as other sources, this thesis argues that ‘pinkwashing’ is taking place, and that it harms both Israelis and Palestinians.Show less
In this thesis the Solidere project to rebuild post-war Beirut is analysed. The focus is on the identity Solidere intended to create and the strategy they choose to build and brand this identity.
