InteraXXIons

Préface

Christine BABIKIAN ASSAF — 2024-06-14

Le Moyen-Orient a longtemps été et continue d’être un théâtre de conflits aigus et de violences allant croissant exercées contre ses habitants. Au début du XXe siècle, ces exactions atteignent une nouvelle dimension avec l’apparition de politiques génocidaires. Ponctuée par de nombreux conflits dont les guerres israélo-arabes, son histoire au XXe siècle est aussi marquée par des changements de régimes opérés presque exclusivement de manière non démocratique. Au début du XXIe siècle, la « lutte contre le terrorisme » et l’invasion américaine de l’Irak voient l’émergence et la proclamation de « l’État islamique en Irak », puis les « Printemps Arabes » suivis d’un conflit complexe en Syrie à partir de 2011 et de la proclamation de « l’État Islamique en Irak et au Levant » (DAECH)...

La violence extrême : questions philosophiques et réalités proche-orientales

Nicole HATEM — 2024-06-14

The use of the term « extreme violence » in political writings has become so common in recent decades that it is sometimes abused. It is therefore necessary to specify its conceptual content. To this end, we questioned Clausewitz’s text, On War, which was commented on by Raymond Aron, in the context of a conflict between powers that could use nuclear weapons, and which served as a basis for René Girard’s final reflection on the mimetic violence likely to lead to the apocalypse. Mentioning this double eventuality is enough to explain why any questioning of the phenomenon of extreme violence usually implies, among the authors who have dealt with it, the questions of its origin and its end. It therefore seemed interesting for us to test, through references to certain recent conflicts in the Middle East, the validity of the proposed responses. In this context, we have focused on the wars in Lebanon and the interpretations developed by the analyst Samir Frangié, a declared disciple of Girard.

Extreme Violence in an Aristotelian-Thomasian Framework

Charbel EL AMM — 2024-06-14

The purpose of this article is to elaborate a definition of extreme violence in an Aristotelian-Thomasian framework. This consists in moving from a conception of violence to that of one that could be extreme. In both cases, we must consider three dimensions: the act, the agent, and the patient. Violence is conceived as what opposes a certain nature from the outside. Extreme violence, however, not only opposes a certain nature, but it eradicates it by subverting it. Man is, by essence, rational, social, and political. Extreme violence perverts the humanity of the one who inflicts it, and annihilates the one it is inflicted on. This perversion affects the reason of man and his relation to others.

On violence with Hannah Arendt: The genocide as absolute evil

Vatché ZADOURIAN — 2024-06-14

This article explores the concept of violence according to the German philosopher of Jewish origin Hannah Arendt. By determining the violence of the genocidal process, we present the thought of the philosopher passing through radical evil to reach the absolute evil. The article focuses on “the banality of evil” by traveling through the 20th century and identifying the different totalitarian ideologies that were at the root of the genocides, especially that of the Armenians and the Jews.

Retour sur la naissance des États du Moyen-Orient

Christine BABIKIAN ASSAF — 2024-06-14

Going back to the historical context of the birth of Middle Eastern states and the nations building in the interwar period, this paper tries to explore the origins of the violence that characterizes the history of the Middle East in the 20th century and to the present day. The cases of Syria, Iraq, and Palestine are dealt with as well as the more specific case of Saudi Arabia.

Violence et quête de rédemption dans le roman contemporain

Charif MAJDALANI — 2024-06-14

La violence a toujours été présente dans la littérature, comme elle a de tout temps accompagné la vie des hommes. Pourtant, jusqu’à la fin du XVIIIe siècle, elle n’avait jamais constitué un thème en soi, la fonction de la littérature étant alors de tendre un miroir aux diverses classes de la société, ou à permettre à l’individu de se situer au sein d’un corps social, d’une généalogie, d’une famille ou d’une communauté et de se reconnaître en elles à travers les poèmes épiques ou le théâtre. Fréquemment représentée, la violence apparaissait surtout à travers les représentations de la guerre ou des soubresauts de la nature…

La violence de la guerre civile : hôte du trouble de la personnalité limite

Maya BOU KHALIL — 2024-06-14

This research addresses the impact of the traumatic events of the civil war in Lebanon on the reflective functioning of adults as parents and raises the question of the impact of this experience on the second generation. The main objective is to investigate whether the chronic exposure of future parents to the traumatic events of the civil war affected their capacity for mentalization (reflective functioning) and whether this reflected on early interactions with their children as well as on their mentalizing abilities later on, and predisposed them, as adults, to Borderline Personality Disorder. Parental mentalization is defined as the ability to understand, make sense of and interpret the child’s thoughts and affects; it’s also the parental ability to empathize in order to contain his distress. This capacity is generally affected by the traumatic experience of violence or abuse and is reflected on the child’s attachment during early interactions with him.
These statistical results were discussed in the light of related theories and compared with the results of other recent similar studies. They were also supported by the results of semi-structured interviews conducted with 10 parents who participated in the research and the respective results of their children semi-structured interview SCID-II.

L’adolescence comme objet de la propagande djihadiste

Boutros GHANEM — 2024-06-14

The present study examines the impact of jihadist propaganda on adolescents as part of this larger project research on the extreme violence in the Middle East. The study aims to understand the psychological factors that motivate Lebanese adolescents to participate in and join jihadist groups such as the Islamic State (IS). Specifically, we hypothesized that the themes of war and brutality expressed by jihadist propaganda resonate with the adolescent tendency to express oneself through action, and that the themes of belonging and utopia respond to the need of adolescents to identify another society to which they can belong. To investigate these hypotheses, we first analyzed five jihadist propaganda short films from which we developed a semi-structured questionnaire inspired by the themes identified in these videos. In the present study, our preliminary results indicate no statistically significant difference in the themes endorsed by Christian and Muslim adolescents. Additionally, our descriptive analysis demonstrates striking similarities between the themes expressed by adolescents and the ones depicted in jihadist videos. In our larger study with a sample of 116 adolescents, we will statistically compare the differences in themes endorsed by adolescents and the ones depicted by jihadist propaganda. The tools used by jihadist propaganda are also highlighted, emphasizing its theological-political nature and its use of themes such as utopia, belonging, and violence to attract young people. IS propaganda is based on a binary view of the world, split between IS supporters and infidels, thus justifying violence in the name of religion. Jihadist propaganda leverages modern communication techniques, such as social media networks and the production of high-quality videos, to disseminate its message and recruit supporters among young people.

Coping strategies, reactions facing media violence, and level of alcohol use among Lebanese university students

Sandy KHOURY — 2024-06-14

Objective: To evaluate Lebanese university students’ coping strategies facing media violence, as well as the association between students’ alcohol use and their coping strategies facing daily stress.
Method: The sample consists of 396 Lebanese university students aged between 18 and 24 years old, enrolled in a university in Beirut between 2018 2019. Students have willingly consented to fill an anonymous survey. Our survey includes various questions: collection of socio-demographic data; “Ways of Coping Checklist French version” questionnaire (Cousson-Gélie et al., 1996) to assess the coping mechanisms adopted; Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test (AUDIT) questionnaire (WHO, 2001) to assess the level of alcohol use; a self-constructed questionnaire on mediated violence in order to study the coping mechanisms adopted by Lebanese academics facing media violence.
Results: Lebanese university students mostly adopted problem-focused coping strategies as well as social support when faced with daily stressors. Most university students had a low level of alcohol use. No association was found between the style of coping, passive or active, when it comes to either daily stressors or to facing media violence. Finally, alcohol use was not associated with any coping mechanism.
Conclusion: When faced with certain violent situations through the media, young students adopt avoidant reactions, even if they typically adopt active coping strategies facing daily stress. Alcohol use, however, does not seem to be a coping strategy, but rather a mild and controlled consumption.

Past traumas, religiosity, and current reactions when faced with media violence in a population of Lebanese university students

Nour YAKTINE — 2024-06-14

Introduction: Nowadays, the virtual world and technology play an important role. The abundance of violence in the media could affect people’s well-being, especially for those who have previously experienced a traumatic event in the past.
Objective: In this study, we evaluate the impact of past traumas and religiosity on Lebanese university students’ reactions to media violence. More specifically, we evaluate the association between having experienced at least one traumatic event in the past and students’ current reactions when faced with media violence. Finally, we address the impact of religiosity on students’ reactions to media violence.
Method: The sample consists of 396 Lebanese university students, aged between 18 and 24 years old. The questionnaire consists of sociodemographic information, as well as a measure of the level of religiosity. It also contains a self-constructed violence measure that evaluates reactions of avoidance and confrontation when faced with violent information through the media.
Results: The association between the students’ reaction of avoidance (looking away, avoidance) and the presence of at least on trauma in the past is significant. This association is more significant when the violent information presenting itself in the media is similar to the traumatic event experienced in the past. Moreover, there exists an association between the reaction of avoidance and religiosity.
Conclusion: Past traumas have an impact on students’ reactions when exposed to media violence in the present moment. More specifically, past traumas foster avoidance behaviors. Avoidance is also associated with religiosity.

Coexistence et violence – Les relations religieuses et pluriethniques dans les quartiers sud de Bourj Hammoud

Annie TOHMÉ TABET — 2024-06-14

This article describes the social relations between the different religious, ethnic and national groups settled in the southern part of Bourj Hammoud municipality and analyzes their ways of coexisting and possibly living together, regardless of their affiliations. It focuses more particularly on violence and conflicts, which periodically threaten the fragile balance that exists between them.

Destructions – Reconstructions du tissu urbain. Beyrouth ou le leitmotiv de cycles de violence urbaine (Liban)

Liliane BUCCIANTI BARAKAT — 2024-06-14

Over the past decades, urban violence has expanded around the world and feeds the medias and social networks. At the same time, they are accompanied by direct or indirect risks linked to urban concentration and its exponential development all over the world.
Beirut, capital of Lebanon is a sprawling and monopolizing city that has suffered among centuries, several violent destructions. Archaeological excavations unearth vestiges of the various civilizations that occupied it. From the last quarter of the 19th century to the present day, the city has witnessed a series of major destructions ordered by the political leaders of the time.
The perpetual transformations of living spaces, often imposed on Beirutis, have initiated several fragmentations within the city, creating areas of confrontation, of social duality, resulting sometimes in a state of violent rupture in the urban fabric and in human relations
This repeated process of spatio-temporal destruction traumatized the urban fabric of Beirut and seemed interesting to analyse within the framework of the Research Project “Extreme violence in the Middle East”.

The ‘Radical Islamism containment’: A new American doctrine that replaces the Truman doctrine

Frédéric A. ZAKHIA — 2024-06-14

The September 11, 2001 attacks on American soil is the beginning of a long war between the United States and the International terrorism, particularly with Al-Qaeda and Islamist movements. This paper analyses the relation between the US and the Islamism movements and suggest that these relations are governed by a new American doctrine, the ‘Radical Islamism containment’, which started with George W. Bush and continued with the successive American Presidents. This new doctrine replaces the old doctrine of ‘Communism containment’ and presents the same schema with military interventions and political and economical pressures and sanctions on Islamist movements.