Enchanted by the AK-47: Contingency of body and the weapon among Hezbollah militants

The constant presence of various forms and makes of firearm has turned it into an everyday item among some Lebanese. For Hezbollah militants, the AK-47 is an object of humour and fun despite its lethal potential. The weapon is saturated with representative qualities - both material and semiotic, so...

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Bibliographische Detailangaben
1. VerfasserIn: Saramifar, Younes (VerfasserIn)
Medienart: Elektronisch Aufsatz
Sprache:Englisch
Verfügbarkeit prüfen: HBZ Gateway
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Veröffentlicht: Sage Publ. [2018]
In: Journal of material culture
Jahr: 2018, Band: 23, Heft: 1, Seiten: 83-99
normierte Schlagwort(-folgen):B Ḥizb Allāh / AK-47 / Materialität
RelBib Classification:AG Religiöses Leben; materielle Religion
BJ Islam
KBL Naher Osten; Nordafrika
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Zusammenfassung:The constant presence of various forms and makes of firearm has turned it into an everyday item among some Lebanese. For Hezbollah militants, the AK-47 is an object of humour and fun despite its lethal potential. The weapon is saturated with representative qualities - both material and semiotic, so the author explores its materiality as a crucial nodal point from which to sketch the difficult terrain of subject-object relationship in the life of Lebanese Shi’i Hezbollah militants. He seeks to identify the material culture of a weapon that consolidates myths, reifies identities, stages propaganda and advertises threats. With this in view, the author follows the AK-47 to explore its ‘enchanting’ qualities and speak of the relationship it forms with a militant’s body. He locates the body of militants between three questions: what does the AK-47 signify, how does it arrive at that signification, and finally, how have its materiality and dynamic physicality made it the weapon of choice?
ISSN:1460-3586
Enthält:Enthalten in: Journal of material culture
Persistent identifiers:DOI: 10.1177/1359183517725099