In the Name of Identity: Violence and the Need to Belong

161 Pages·2003·0.21 MB·English

by  Amin Maalouf

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In
IDENTITY
Viofencea nd Neecf'Bteo�
the
AMIN MAALOUF
Transfa.tecC fromtfie FrencBh.ar 66yarB ara y
PENGUIN BOOKS
PENGUIN BOOKS
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PenguBiono kLst d8,0 S tranLdo,n doWnC 2R ORl,E ngland
PenguBoionk sA ustralltid2a,5 0C amberwReolald C,a mberwell, 3V1i2c4tA,ou rsitar alia
PenguBiono kCsa nadlat d1,0 A lcoArvne nuTeo,r ontOon,r arCiaon,a dMa4 V 3B2
PenguBiono kIsn di(aP L)t d1,1 C ommuniCteyn trPea,n chshPeaerlkN ,e wD elh-i1 100 17I,n dia
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PenguBiono k(sS ouAtfhr i(cPat))Ly td2,4 S turdAevee nue,
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PenguBiono kLst dR,e gisteOrfefdi c8e0sS :r ranLdo,n doWnC 2R ORlE,n gland
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THE LIBRARYO F CONGRESSH AS CATALOGED
THE HARDCOVERE DITIONA S FOLLOWS:
MaalouAf,m in.
[Identmietuerstr ieErneglsi.s h]
Int hen ameo fi dentivtyi:o leanncdet hen eetdo b elon/ gA minM aalouf;
translfraotmet dh eF rencbhyB arbaBrraa y. Ntosrtt Ahm erican ed.
p. cm.
ISB1N-.5 5970-(h5c9.3)- 0
ISBN0 1 420.072( 5p7bk.)
1.G rouipd entiItyT..i de.
HM75.3M 331230 01
302.4 dc220110 (} 24929
Printientd h eU niteSdt atoefAs m erica
DesignbeydA P I
Excepitnt heU niteSdt atoefAs m erictah,ib so oki ss olsdu bjetcott h ec ondition
thati ts hanlolt b,y w ayo ft radoero therwbiesl ee,n rte,- sohlidr,eo du to,ro therwise
circulwaittehdo tuhtep ublishperrico'orsn seinnat n yf ormof b indionrcg o veort her
thatnh aitnw hicihti sp ublisahnedwd i thoaus ti micloanrd itiinocnl uding
thicso nditbieoinni gm posoendt hes ubsequpeunrtc haser.
foArn dree
foRru chdi
JorTarek
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Inthe !ft/.ame
IDENTITY
Introduction
ow
H MANY TiMEsiSn,Ic le e tLf ebnaoni n1 976t ol ivien
Fran,ch aevpee oplaes kemde ,w itthh bee sitn teonntsi
�
in the or1dw,h etheIr f elt" moreF rench"o r" more
LebanesAen"dI? a lwagyisev the saanmseew r":B othI!s "a y
that innto htie nteroeffs aitrsn seo srb alnaceb,u tb eacusaen y
othearn swewro ulbde a liWeh.a tm akemse myserlfa tehr
thaann yoneel sies tvehrefy ac tt haIat mp osiebde wteent wo
conutri,et swoo rt hrelea nguaagnedss e vercuallt utrraald i­
tionsi.sp rIeistcle yt hitsh adte finmeysi denitty. Woulde xIi st
morea utnhteicailfIl c yu otff a p arto fm yself?
To thowseh oa stkh qeu estiIpo ant,ni teleyx plathianIt
wasb orni nL eabnoann dl ivtehde ruen tIiw la s2 7t;h atA ra­
biicsm y mothtero nguteh;ai ttw asi nA rabtirca nsltahtaito n
Ifi rsrte aDdu maasn dD ickenasn dG ulliver�a nTrdta hvaetl s;
itw asin myn ative vtihlvelil laaggeeo, fm y ancesttohraIst ,
experientchee pdl easuorfce hsid lhooda ndh eards omeo f
thes tioertsh awte rel atteori nsiprmey noveHlosw. coludI
INT HEN AMEO FI DNETIYT
forgaelttl h aHto?wc ouIlc dai sattis d?Oe nt hoeht ehra dn,
Ih avlveie fdro 2 2y eaornts h seol oi fF rnaceId ;r ihnekr
watrea nwdi nee;v ye rdmayyh antdosu hcehar cn ient
sotn;e wsrIi tmeyb ookisnh elra unag;gn eerva egaiwni lslh e
bea froiegcno unttomr ey.
Soa mI h aFlrfe nchha lafnn deL seOebf?ca ounroste.
Idnetictaynb 'ect o pmartmeednY.tou ac lnai'dstid veii utp
inhtaol ovrteh si rodras n �yht esre paatsreem gent.sI h anvt'e
gotsv eeraidle tniietIsv':eg ojtsu to nem,a duep o fm any
copmonesin ntam ixttuhriaeust n iqtuome ej ,su ats o ther
pelo'episd enitusin tyi qtuote h eamis d nivi.d uals
Somiemet,sa tfeIvr'e b eegnvii nagd elteaadic cnotou f
exalcyw thyIl acyl atioam lm lya ffiliioanstso,m ecoonmee s
and sm peao tnt he ulsdhaeonrds ays c"oOsufero ,f
cosuer buwth aty odruoe afleelldy,e edpo winsn ide?"
Foarl ontgi mIfe uo ntdh oitfsre- pedaq tueeisoatnm us­
in,bg uitnt o l oenrmg akmeess mlieI.ts e emsto r eflae ct
vieowfh umanwihtiyct hoh,uh gi tw iidsee sapidras,l isno
my opindiaogennor usI.tp erspupostehsa" ted edpo wn
ins"ie dveenreyt oheei rjssu otn aeffi alitiotnh raeta mlalty­
teark si,no df" fuanmdnetatlrth u"a obueta cidhni dvuilaa,n
"sese"nd ceetienremodn caen fdo arl altb irntvehe,tr o
chngaet ehrteea.Arf si ft hrese ta;lt lh rese t ap resso n'
whojloeru enyt hurgho tiamsaef er ea getnhtbe;e lshi ee f
aqcuiirnet shc euo rs<?fet hjauotr nehyio;sw ni nidvidual
tas,st neessitbiiaelnsiad ffi niie;tis ns hohritls ei ifstlef
cuontdef ron oth.Ai nndwg heansh, a ppness oo tfenno wa­
dayosu,cr on teomarpriaeresex hotrot" esadsr ett heiidre n­
ti,ty"t hyea re mteosa enetk wtihtesehmlivtneh sas ta me
aelgledfnu dmaetnaall legwihaincichse t,e ornfle iigosu,
2
INTORDUCTION
nationraalc,io arel t hn,ai ncdh avinlgo catiettd h eayr se� ­p
posetdofl aunittp roudilnty h efac eo fo tehr.s
Anynoew hoc laiamm so rec ompleixd entiismt ayr gin­
alised. aB yuotu nmga nb orni nF rancoefAl geripaanr nets
claerlcya rrwiietsh hiinm t wod ifferaellnetg iaonrc" ebsle ong­
ingsa,n"dh eo ughtto b ea llowetdou sbe othF.o rt hes ake of
y
argumenItr eefrt ot wo" belongibnugtis nf: ac'ts ucah ouths'
pesronaliismt ayd eu po fm anym orei ngrediWeintthsih.ni m,
FrencEhu,ro peaann do ther weisnfltueernnc miensgl e with
ArabB,e rberA,fr icaMnu,s liamn do thesro urcwehse,� her
witrhe gatrold a nguabgeel,i feamfsi,l rye latioonrst hoti apsst es
inc ookinagn dt haer .tT shirse presaenen ntrsi chainndfge r tile
experieinfct eh ey ounmga ni nq uestfieeolnfs re et ol iviet
fully ifh ei se ncouratgoae cdc eiptint al itdsive rsityB.u ti t
canb et raumaitfwi hce nevheerc laitmosb eF rench other
pepolleo ookn h im aat sr aiotror re negaandde i,fe vertyi me
hee mphassiesh itsi ewsi tAlhg eriaan dits h istocryu,l tuarned
relighiemo ene twsi tihn comephrensimiosnt,r uosret v eonu t­
right hostility.
Thes iutatoini se vemno red ifficuolnt tohteeh rs idoef t he
RhineI.' mt hnikingo ft hec asoef a Turkw hom ighhta ve
beebno nr neaFrr ankf3u0ry te arasg oa ndw hoh asa lways
liveidnG ermanHye. s peaaknsdw ritGeesr mabne ttetrh an
thel anaggueo fh isa ncersstY.oe tf or thes ocyi eotfh is
adoptceodnu trhye i Sna'G te rman,w hilfeor t haotfh iosr i­
ginhse i sn ol ongceorm pleetlayT urk.C ommons ensdei c­
tattehsa hte s holudb ea blteo c laim baloelgtiahnc es.B uta t
presenneti thtehrel awn orp eopsla et'titauldleoshw ism t o
accehpitcs o mposiitdee nttirtya niqluly.
3
INT HEN AMEO FI DENTITY
Ih avqeu otetdh efi rsetx ampltehsac ta met om indb,u tI
coulhda vues emda nyo therFso.ri nstantcheao,tf s omeone
borin nB elgraodfae S erbimaont hearn da C roatiafna ther.
Thato fa H utu womanm arriteodaT utsoirv, i vceear O.sr
thoafta nA meriwciatanbh l acfka thaenrda J ewimosthh er.
Itm ayb es aidt hatth esaer es pecicaals eIsd .o n'atg ree.
Theh andfouflp eoplIe' vcei teadr neo tt heo nloyn ewsi tah
compleixd etntyi.E veriyn dividiusaa mle etil).ggr ounfdro
manyd iffereanltl egiaanncdse osm,e timtehse sleo yalctoine­s
flicwti tho naen otehra ndc onfrotnhtep ersownh oh arubros
themw ithdi fficulcth oiceIsns. o me catsheess i tuatiiso n
obvioautas g lacne;o thenrese dto b el ookeadtm orec los.e ly
Ist heraney c itizoefpn r esentE-udraoyp weh o doesn't
sensaek inodf t ug-of-awnai rn,e viyte avbelr-incrceoans­ing
flicbte tweeonn theo neh andh isa ffiliattiooa nn a ncient
counytl rikFer ancSep,a iDne,n marok rEn glanadn,d o,n t he
othehri,sa lglieancteot hec ontinentalt heaintst i intt yh e
proceosfsf omrin?g And theraer em anyd edica"teEdu ro­
peansf,r"o mt heB asquceo unttroyS cotlawnhdo, a tt he
samet imfee eals troanngd f undamenattatla chmteona tp ra­
ticular arnedgi itposen o plieth,si s torya ndi tlsa nguaCgaen.
anyonien t heU niteSdt ateevse nt odaasys heissp lsa cien
sociewtyi thto uerferceent oh iesa rlcioenrn ectiwohnest,h er
�
theyb eA frinc,a ispanIiircs,h J,e wisIht,a liPaonl,i osrh
other?
Thats aiIdm', preparteoad d mitth atth efi rsetx amplIe s
citeadrt eo a c ertaeixnt esnpte ciAlallt h.e p eopcloen cerJ?iend
theamr aer esn faor. allieagnccuersre nitnlv yi olent conflict
witho nea notehr: thelyi vien a sorotf f rontzioenrec riss­
crossebdye thn,ir celigiaonudos t hfeuarll ti .nB uetsb yv irtue
4
INTRODUCTION
oft hissi tuatipoenc u-lriaatrht ehra pnr ivilegtehdeh ya- ve
a speciroallet op laiyn f orgilnign kesl,i minamtiisnugn der­
standimnagksi,ns go mep artmioerser easonaanbdlo et helress s
beillgere,ns tmoothionugtd ifficuelsts,iee kincgo mpromise.
Theirorl ei st oa cats b ridggeos-,b etwemeendsi,a tboertwse en
thev ariocuosm munitainedsc ultuArnedst .h aitsp recisely
whyt hediirl emimass os ignificiaftn hte:y themcsaenlnvoets
susttahienmi url tiaplllee giainftc heesay,r ec ontinubaelilnyg
pressteotd a ksei doerso rderteosd tawyi thtihne oiwrn t ribe,
thealn ofu sh avree astoonb eu neaasbyo utth wea yt hweo rld
ISg omg.
It alokft hebieri n"gp ressaendd"" o rder-edb"u tb y
whom?N otj usbty f anataincdxs en ophoboefsa lkli ndbsu,t
alsboyy oua ndm e,b ye acahn da lolf u sA.n dw ed os op re­
cisebleyc auosfeh abiotfst hought eaxnpdr essdieoenp ly
rootiendu sa lble;c auosfea n arrow,e xclusive, sbiimg­oted,
plistic tahtatrtie tduudcieed se ntiinta yli lt msa nya specttos
ones ingalffiel iatainodno ,n et haitsp roclaiimnae ndg er.
,
If eelli kseh outianlgo utdh atth iissh owm urderaerres
made- ita' sre cifpoerm assacres!m ayTs hoautn sdo me­
whate xtrembeu,ti nt hep agetsh afto lloIws hatllr yt o
explawihna tIm ean.
5