ASHURA: THIS BLOOD SPILLED IN MY VEINS
 | |
| Author | Jalal Toufic |
|---|---|
| Language | English |
| Published | 2015 |
| Publisher | Forthcoming Books |
| Pages | 107 |
The book ASHURA: THIS BLOOD SPILLED IN MY VEINS speaks about a torture memory.
About the author
Jalal Toufic (March 22, 1962) is a Lebanese artist, filmmaker, and author of various publications. Born to an Iraqi father and a Palestinian mother, he has lived in Lebanon for about seventeen years, and his work often reflects his heritage. He is co-publisher and co-editor, with Gilbert Hage, of Underexposed Books. He has BA (American University of Beirut), MA (New York University), PhD (Northwestern University).
About the book
This book published in Forthcoming Books; 1st edition (July 22, 2005), has 107 pages. It contains a large number of photos of a special type of mourning for the martyrs of Karbala, and the author examines this special type.
Abstract of chapters
Chapter 1: Ashura; or, Torturous Memory as a Condition of Possibility of an Unconditional Promise
The author talks about forgetfulness and the permanence of memory as a principle, and then examines the reasons for persistence. He extends this principle to Ashura in this way:
"The memory that the ceremony of Ashura is trying to maintain is not only or mainly that of the past, but the memory of the future, that of the promise of the coming of the Mahdi, the Shi‘ite messiah, as well as the corresponding promise of Twelver Shi‘ites to wait for him."
Chapter 2: This Blood Spilled in My Veins
This chapter contains bloody photos of that particular type of mourning mentioned in the book description section.
Chapter 3: Martyrs
In this chapter, the author explains and interprets the word martyr and in this regard, examines the conjunction of witnessing and death. He goes on to name the killings and bombings that have taken place in various places and condemns them, whether they are imitations or not.
Chapter 4: Posthumous Martyrs
In this chapter, the author collects a number of photos of prominent martyrs for thinking about this slogan:
"Photographs are a way of preservation against death, but what would that way of preservation matter if in order to see them with a piercing sight, one that goes through so many veils, one would have to be already dead."