On the Problem of the Victim/Perpetrator Dichotomy: The Massacre of Kurds (Iran, 1979)

By Mehran M. Mazinani

Volume 14, Issue 2, pages 289-301

Abstract

This article recontextualizes the massacre that took place in the Kurdistan region of Iran in 1979. Through examining interviews with and articles by some of the leading actors involved in the massacre and analysing various alignments between Tehran and Kurdistan, the article concludes that the massacre was not an ethnic conflict. Rather, it was a political issue exacerbated by matters such as the turbulent transition from the Pahlavi dynasty to the Islamic Republic and idiosyncrasies of the involved actors. Framing the massacre in a primordially black and white fashion – Sunni Kurds versus Shiite Persians – is not only historically inaccurate but also empirically problematic.

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Gender and Nationalism in Latin America: Thoughts on Recent Trends

By Sarah A. Radcliffe and Megan Rivers-Moore

Volume 9, Issue 1, pages 139-145

Abstract

Relations between gender and nationalism are forged in the intersection between race, inter‐national relations, sexuality, and class in Latin America; the region’s gendered nationalisms reflecting specific histories and configurations of race, gender relations and projects of nationalism. The gendered nature of nations and nationalism in Latin America remains a vibrant research field (for reviews on gender, see Dore and Molyneux 2000; on nationalism, Miller 2006). For this reason, our piece can highlight only a few dimensions of a multifaceted dynamic set of processes, reflecting our research interests rather than a comprehensive review.

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A ‘European Migrant Crisis’? Some Thoughts on Mediterranean Borders

By Annalisa Lendaro

Volume 16, Issue 1, pages 148-157

Abstract

This paper addresses the ongoing ‘European Migrant Crisis’ by, first, discussing the return of internal borders within the European Union as zones for controlling and sorting migrants, and then both internal and external borders as areas in which policing and national policy choices deeply challenge international law, which was designed to protect all human beings regardless of their country of departure. The primary argument developed here is that some EU countries neglect to abide by the European and international regulations on migration, asylum seekers, and human rights, with unprecedented consequences. Border policies are presented here as paradoxical governmental tools, which are not applied equally and uniformly. The main consequence is the growing gap between rights guaranteed under the law and their selective application within a border management where the state of exception is increasingly visible.

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Strategies of Constructing Social Identities in Conflict‐Ridden Areas: The Case of Young Jews, Arabs and Palestinians

By Dahlia Moore and Salem Aweiss

Volume 7, Issue 1, pages 2-26

Abstract

Combining several social‐psychological and sociological perspectives to examine the relative importance of diverse social identity components in Israeli and Palestinian societies, this study uses identity as a key concept in understanding how diverse social orders can simultaneously exist within a single societal entity. Analysing a sample of over 3,800 Jewish, Arab, and Palestinian high school students we find that family identity is the most salient among Jews and Arabs today, while the civic (Palestinian) identity is the most salient among Palestinians. Moreover, each social identity entails a different attitudinal and demographic profile. The findings seem to indicate that the value systems (according to which the collective is more important than the individual) that prevailed among Jews in Israel in the state’s formative years are declining, while such value systems are currently prevalent in Palestinian society. Implications for the conflict between the two societies are also discussed.

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A Belief in the Purity of the Nation: The Possible Dangers of Its Influence on Migration Legislation in Europe

By Diego Acosta

Volume 10, Issue 2, pages 234-254

Abstract

Immigration is one of the most important issues in the European Union (EU). In order to address the subject, the EU adopted a Directive on a long‐term residence status for third‐country nationals (TCNs). While implementing this Directive, many Member States changed their migration laws, thus increasingly linking the acquirement of this status with integration requirements. The integration requirements emphasise language acquisition and knowledge of the country, including its history, culture, and constitution. Why is this trend taking place at this particular point in time? While many factors could be mentioned, these integration tests are also the consequence of the constant repetition in the belief of the purity of the nation in certain political discourses, particularly by the populist radical right. This line of thinking creates a worrying problem for the future as European national identities are seen as immutable, thus complicating the acceptance of the new Europeans with an immigrant background. Hence a question arises: To what extent can we see a correlation in some EU countries between the recent introduction of harsher integration requirements for obtaining permanent residence and a certain discourse on national identity, primarily put forward by radical right parties?

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