martyr
- a person who by his death or sufferings proves the strength of his beliefs
- a person who suffers, or appears to suffer, because of something he must do or experience
- a person who gives up his own wishes or chance of gain or who accepts something unpleasant, in order to please others, and sometimes in the hope of being praised.
Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English
The Concept Of 'Martyr' in Palestinian Society
The concept of martyrs as it manifests in Palestinian society is one relatively unknown in the West, and traditional Arabic language reporting and communication of what a martyr is to the international media has not been aimed at a Western audience. As a result, the concept is not clearly understood when taken out of the societal context. The idea of "martyr" is far more common within Palestinian society than its Western counterpart. Its origins, although traditionally religious, have come to be adopted by the entire community and do not necessarily connote religiosity. The martyr is perceived in Palestinian society as an individual who has sacrificed his life in the struggle against occupation and injustice and for freedom and humanity, regardless of his religious or political affiliations. Thus, Christians, Muslims and even Communists can be martyrs.
The Origins of Martyrdom in Palestinian Society
The concept of "martyr" within Palestinian society has developed since the time of the British Mandate (1917-1948). During this time, Palestinians began to realize that the Mandate was yet another occupation, and those who began to struggle against the British were respected as fighters for their national rights and against abuses of human rights and against imperialism.
During the British Mandate, the ongoing immigration of Jews was happening. Those who came first were financially supported, and the Palestinians accepted them at the time, selling them land and stores, and inviting them into their society. These first Jews lived in communities on their own and generally refused to intermingle with the community already living there. They were perceived as looking down upon those within the Palestinian community, believing that they were more respectable than Arabs, even including the Palestinian Jews who were already living in the land side by side with other Palestinians.
The new immigrants were aggressive, and began to work towards gathering weapons, and forming gangs such as the Hagannah and the Irgun, to secure their presence in the land. These gangs would often conflict with the presiding British Mandate authorities, and carried out a number of terrorist attacks against British soldiers. They would often disguise themselves as Arabs when carrying out attacks, so that the authorities would mistake the culprits for local Palestinian villagers. In turn, they would also disguise themselves as British soldiers, and carry out violence against Palestinian villagers, including women, children, and older village leaders.
Those Palestinians who struggled against both British and Jew in this context, were highly respected as individuals who had sacrificed themselves in order to protect their home and people from outside oppressors, and were regarded on a very high level within the community.
Interestingly, after the establishment of the State of Israel in 1948, it was the Jews who introduced religion as a driving political force behind their claims to the land of Palestine. The foundation of the state was based on religion, on their religious right to claim the land as theirs as promised to them by God. The local community, largely Muslim, reacted to this form of claim by starting to search within their own religion to confirm that the land was promised to them by God. The use of religion in the Palestinian political arena was very much a counter-reaction to the usurping of the land.
The 'Martyr' in Islam
Narrated by Sa'id ibn Zayd:
The Prophet (peace_be_upon_him) said: He who is killed while protecting his property is a martyr, and he who is killed while defending his family, or his blood, or his religion is a martyr. (Partial Sunan Abu Dawud, Book 40, Number 4754)
Narrated by Abu Hurayrah:
A person came to the Messenger of Allah and asked what do you think if a man comes to me in order to appropriate my possessions? He (the Prophet) said: Don't surrender your possessions to him. He (the inquirer) said: If he fights me? He (the Prophet) remarked: Then fight (with him). He (the inquirer) again said: What do you think if I am killed? He (the Prophet) observed: You would be a martyr: He (the inquirer) said: What do you think of him (Messenger of Allah) if I kill him. He (the Prophet) said: He would be in the Fire. (Sahih Muslim, Book 1, Number 0259)
Narrated by 'Abdullah bin 'Amr bin Al-'As:
I heard the Prophet saying, "Whoever is killed while protecting his property, then he is a martyr." (Hadith Sahih Bukhari Volume 3, Book 43, Number 660)
Martyrs in a Contemporary Context
As stated, the religious concept behind martyrdom was not the only force evoking respect for one dying for the defense of his land. There were many other groups that were involved in the struggle for the land who were not believers of Islam or Christianity and the rewards of martyrdom in heaven. These people however, were also called "martyr", and respected in the same manner as a religious manner.
When a Palestinian has been martyred, the community tends to view his death and life in idealistic and positive terms, by remembering only the good of the individual. The martyr is seen as one who has sacrificed his life and - regardless of how he died and the level of his involvement in events - as a hero. The individual is taken to a supernatural level, and his daily life is often overlooked and not focused on, one of the reasons that motivated this project.
When one starts to speak about the daily life of a martyr, the emotions that take over are powerful. Remembering the daily acts of the individual resurrects memories of the person while he was alive, memories that are often too painful to control. Media and oral reports of martyrs often focus on the last day of his life and how he was martyred, or why he was martyred and the events leading up to it. A personification of his life as an individual is usually absent from the narrative. This can also be seen as a social mechanism to contain the shock of losing a loved one, to focus on the impersonal act of death itself and the loss in a political or supernatural context rather than as a human being whose works and relationships die with him or her at the grave.
The Rituals of Martyrdom
When a Palestinian is considered a martyr, their death is treated differently than that of others who have died. When a family hears of the death of their child, or a wife or husband of their spouse, they immediately send out an invitation to the community for those who wish to congratulate them on their spouse's martyrdom. They distribute sweets and feed visitors as if it was a celebration, like a wedding. The relatives of the martyr stay at home for three consecutive days, from the morning to the evening, to receive the congratulations of the community. The community visits in large groups at this time. If the martyr is from a school, the whole school will visit together. The same applies to universities, businesses, and other organisations.
If the martyr dies instantly, people carry his or her body on their shoulders and go straight to the cemetary, sending word to the family to join them. They offer the traditional prayers over his body and give everyone an opportunity to kiss him on the forehead. Martyrs' shrouds are their clothes. Those martyrs who have died of a wound by a gun are not washed or shrouded. The clothes are not cleaned, blood is not removed from the body, and the martyr is buried as he or she fell. It is written in the Quran:
Martyrs who fell in the battle were not washed and were buried in their blood stained clothes without prayers because according to Islam, martyrs are not really dead: "Think not of those who are slain in Allah's way as dead. Nay, they live, finding their sustenance in the Presence of their lord" (al-Qur'an 3:169).
And in the Hadith:
Yahya related to me from Malik that he had heard the people of knowledge say that martyrs in the way of Allah were not washed, nor were any of them prayed over. They were buried in the garments in which they were slain. (Book 21, Number 21.16.37)
After the three days of visiting, and on the first Thursday after his death, the family recieves well-wishers from close friends and relatives and representatives of local organisations, to offer respects and to show the family the community's support.
Forty days after the martyr's death, just the female members of the family receive the well-wishers from the female members of the community. In Islamic tradition, the forty days after the death was chosen because at that point it would be clear whether or not the wife of the martyr was carrying his child. Mourning in Islam otherwise dictates that people should not mourn more than three days. However, within the community, the forty days is viewed as a traditional marker for memorial for the martyr.
After this period, an annual memorial is performed in the same manner.
SEPTEMBER 1996 MARTYRS' MEMORIAL HOMEPAGE