Sofya Shahab is a Research Fellow at the Institute of Development Studies. Her research employs an anthropological lens to explore the weaponisation of affect, its modes of transmissions, and experiences of violence, through a focus on the cultural property destruction undertaken by the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria, as well as practices of un- and re-making in response to this. Sofya has over 10 years of experience working in humanitarian and development assistance across the Middle East.
After conquering large swathes of northern Iraq, the Islamic State undertook an aggressive genoci... more After conquering large swathes of northern Iraq, the Islamic State undertook an aggressive genocidal campaign against the Yezidi people in which they not only executed and enslaved thousands of innocent civilians, but also damaged or destroyed several key Yezidi temples and shrines. Drawing on a small sample of in-depth semi-structured interviews with Yezidi men and women from two regions conquered by the Islamic State, this article documents the effect this wave of persecution has had on these Yezidi individuals. It finds that the attacks by the Islamic State on Yezidis and their heritage sites have caused considerable suffering among the community, in part because of their inability to practise their intangible religious rituals and customs. However, the Yezidi people have also demonstrated remarkable resistance and resilience to the Islamic State genocide in terms of returning to their ancient homelands, reconstructing their heritage sites and the re-emergence of their intangible religious heritage practices. The article concludes by noting that the new insights gleaned from these interviews are a step towards better understanding the relationship between tangible and intangible heritage in the wake of conflict, genocide and mass heritage destruction.
This article develops the conceptual framework of the ritualization of heritage destruction to an... more This article develops the conceptual framework of the ritualization of heritage destruction to analyse and interpret the targeting of pre-monotheistic heritage sites and artefacts by the Islamic State. It draws upon anthropological studies of initiation rituals in violent male cults alongside literature on heritage destruction to conduct a systematic analysis of key Islamic State propaganda outlets. The analysis reveals that the heritage destruction wrought by the Islamic State functions as part of a broader process of ritualization that is instrumental in forming bonds between members and ensuring their allegiance. Such rituals serve multiple purposes: they physically and ideologically separate new recruits from existing social norms and laws; they breed a deference to leadership and create a unified identity towards the potentiality of violence; and they situate heritage destruction itself within a complex symbolic kaleidoscope of prescribed actions and specific attire, invoking connections to an imagined past and repeating the actions of their forbearers. The article concludes by noting that such analysis of the ritualization of heritage destruction is not only vital to understanding how groups such as the Islamic State successfully transform ordinary young men into a violent jihadist communitas, but also in further understanding, and responding to, such attacks on heritage sites.
Findings of a collaborative research project provide an insight into why some returned Afghan min... more Findings of a collaborative research project provide an insight into why some returned Afghan minors are keen to set out again, despite numerous challenges.
This is a practical workbook to guide local communities and heritage gatherers through the proces... more This is a practical workbook to guide local communities and heritage gatherers through the process of capturing and storing their heritage for future generations. Through initiatives with the British Academy and the Coalition for Religious Equality and Inclusive Development (CREID), the Institute of Development Studies (IDS) has been working with young people in Egypt, Iraq and Syria to capture their oral heritage, so that it may be preserved for future generations. Alongside life history interviews and topic interviews - which cover particular aspects of communities’ heritage - a key component of this heritage preservation is how these records will be stored. Thinking about the language and accessibility of digital archiving practices, this workbook is a practical guide to capturing and storing “heritage harvests”, including community interviews, photographs, and short films.
We document cultural heritage to preserve cultural heritage, to ensure its survival by pushing ba... more We document cultural heritage to preserve cultural heritage, to ensure its survival by pushing back against the entropic forces of forgetting and neglect. These entropic forces are particularly acute for intangible cultural heritage preserved in digital form and produced in fragile and conflict-affected settings. And whilst professionals from across the “memory” professions have responded to these challenges, based on our experience of development work with young people in Egypt and Iraq, they have done so in ways that are ill-suited to the worldviews, cultural practices, educational experience and learning models of those outside centres of archival power. This paper describes the delivery of “digital archiving” workshops, training, support and resources developed by an interdisciplinary and multi-sectoral collective of academics, practitioners, community leaders and community participants. Working at the intersection of development studies, heritage management and digital preserva...
The construction and destruction of cultural monuments has long been used by those who hold – or ... more The construction and destruction of cultural monuments has long been used by those who hold – or seek to hold – power as a tool to cultivate historical narratives that support their political agend...
After conquering large swathes of northern Iraq, the Islamic State undertook an aggressive genoci... more After conquering large swathes of northern Iraq, the Islamic State undertook an aggressive genocidal campaign against the Yezidi people in which they not only executed and enslaved thousands of innocent civilians, but also damaged or destroyed several key Yezidi temples and shrines. Drawing on a small sample of in-depth semi-structured interviews with Yezidi men and women from two regions conquered by the Islamic State, this article documents the effect this wave of persecution has had on these Yezidi individuals. It finds that the attacks by the Islamic State on Yezidis and their heritage sites have caused considerable suffering among the community, in part because of their inability to practise their intangible religious rituals and customs. However, the Yezidi people have also demonstrated remarkable resistance and resilience to the Islamic State genocide in terms of returning to their ancient homelands, reconstructing their heritage sites and the re-emergence of their intangible...
This article develops the conceptual framework of the ritualization of heritage destruction to an... more This article develops the conceptual framework of the ritualization of heritage destruction to analyse and interpret the targeting of pre-monotheistic heritage sites and artefacts by the Islamic State. It draws upon anthropological studies of initiation rituals in violent male cults alongside literature on heritage destruction to conduct a systematic analysis of key Islamic State propaganda outlets. The analysis reveals that the heritage destruction wrought by the Islamic State functions as part of a broader process of ritualization that is instrumental in forming bonds between members and ensuring their allegiance. Such rituals serve multiple purposes: they physically and ideologically separate new recruits from existing social norms and laws; they breed a deference to leadership and create a unified identity towards the potentiality of violence; and they situate heritage destruction itself within a complex symbolic kaleidoscope of prescribed actions and specific attire, invoking c...
Heritage has been established as a core factor in shaping identity and community. Alongside the h... more Heritage has been established as a core factor in shaping identity and community. Alongside the human suffering and mass displacement arising from the conflicts in Iraq and Syria, there has been increased attention on heritage as a victim of war. While scholarship has predominantly focussed on the impacts of conflict on built heritage, through semi-structured interviews and oral histories produced in collaboration with three Syrian artisans displaced to Amman, I unravel the relationship between artisanal crafts, the intangible practices that manifest in them, and the spatial environments through which they are conceived. As such, I highlight processes of change occurring through migration in relation to this heritage, to illustrate how reconfigurations of space have led to reconfigurations of craft. By suggesting an approach that emphasises the reconfiguration of heritage rather than its destruction, I accentuate the resilience of people and processes of un- and re-making.
This is the program of a workshop and public film screening event due to be held at the National ... more This is the program of a workshop and public film screening event due to be held at the National Gallery of Victoria, Melbourne on 30-31 January 2019. Event curated by Ali Mozaffari Workshop co-conveners: Ali Mozaffari and David Harvey Film directed by Pejman Akbarzadeh
After conquering large swathes of northern Iraq, the Islamic State undertook an aggressive genoci... more After conquering large swathes of northern Iraq, the Islamic State undertook an aggressive genocidal campaign against the Yezidi people in which they not only executed and enslaved thousands of innocent civilians, but also damaged or destroyed several key Yezidi temples and shrines. Drawing on a small sample of in-depth semi-structured interviews with Yezidi men and women from two regions conquered by the Islamic State, this article documents the effect this wave of persecution has had on these Yezidi individuals. It finds that the attacks by the Islamic State on Yezidis and their heritage sites have caused considerable suffering among the community, in part because of their inability to practise their intangible religious rituals and customs. However, the Yezidi people have also demonstrated remarkable resistance and resilience to the Islamic State genocide in terms of returning to their ancient homelands, reconstructing their heritage sites and the re-emergence of their intangible religious heritage practices. The article concludes by noting that the new insights gleaned from these interviews are a step towards better understanding the relationship between tangible and intangible heritage in the wake of conflict, genocide and mass heritage destruction.
This article develops the conceptual framework of the ritualization of heritage destruction to an... more This article develops the conceptual framework of the ritualization of heritage destruction to analyse and interpret the targeting of pre-monotheistic heritage sites and artefacts by the Islamic State. It draws upon anthropological studies of initiation rituals in violent male cults alongside literature on heritage destruction to conduct a systematic analysis of key Islamic State propaganda outlets. The analysis reveals that the heritage destruction wrought by the Islamic State functions as part of a broader process of ritualization that is instrumental in forming bonds between members and ensuring their allegiance. Such rituals serve multiple purposes: they physically and ideologically separate new recruits from existing social norms and laws; they breed a deference to leadership and create a unified identity towards the potentiality of violence; and they situate heritage destruction itself within a complex symbolic kaleidoscope of prescribed actions and specific attire, invoking connections to an imagined past and repeating the actions of their forbearers. The article concludes by noting that such analysis of the ritualization of heritage destruction is not only vital to understanding how groups such as the Islamic State successfully transform ordinary young men into a violent jihadist communitas, but also in further understanding, and responding to, such attacks on heritage sites.
Findings of a collaborative research project provide an insight into why some returned Afghan min... more Findings of a collaborative research project provide an insight into why some returned Afghan minors are keen to set out again, despite numerous challenges.
This is a practical workbook to guide local communities and heritage gatherers through the proces... more This is a practical workbook to guide local communities and heritage gatherers through the process of capturing and storing their heritage for future generations. Through initiatives with the British Academy and the Coalition for Religious Equality and Inclusive Development (CREID), the Institute of Development Studies (IDS) has been working with young people in Egypt, Iraq and Syria to capture their oral heritage, so that it may be preserved for future generations. Alongside life history interviews and topic interviews - which cover particular aspects of communities’ heritage - a key component of this heritage preservation is how these records will be stored. Thinking about the language and accessibility of digital archiving practices, this workbook is a practical guide to capturing and storing “heritage harvests”, including community interviews, photographs, and short films.
We document cultural heritage to preserve cultural heritage, to ensure its survival by pushing ba... more We document cultural heritage to preserve cultural heritage, to ensure its survival by pushing back against the entropic forces of forgetting and neglect. These entropic forces are particularly acute for intangible cultural heritage preserved in digital form and produced in fragile and conflict-affected settings. And whilst professionals from across the “memory” professions have responded to these challenges, based on our experience of development work with young people in Egypt and Iraq, they have done so in ways that are ill-suited to the worldviews, cultural practices, educational experience and learning models of those outside centres of archival power. This paper describes the delivery of “digital archiving” workshops, training, support and resources developed by an interdisciplinary and multi-sectoral collective of academics, practitioners, community leaders and community participants. Working at the intersection of development studies, heritage management and digital preserva...
The construction and destruction of cultural monuments has long been used by those who hold – or ... more The construction and destruction of cultural monuments has long been used by those who hold – or seek to hold – power as a tool to cultivate historical narratives that support their political agend...
After conquering large swathes of northern Iraq, the Islamic State undertook an aggressive genoci... more After conquering large swathes of northern Iraq, the Islamic State undertook an aggressive genocidal campaign against the Yezidi people in which they not only executed and enslaved thousands of innocent civilians, but also damaged or destroyed several key Yezidi temples and shrines. Drawing on a small sample of in-depth semi-structured interviews with Yezidi men and women from two regions conquered by the Islamic State, this article documents the effect this wave of persecution has had on these Yezidi individuals. It finds that the attacks by the Islamic State on Yezidis and their heritage sites have caused considerable suffering among the community, in part because of their inability to practise their intangible religious rituals and customs. However, the Yezidi people have also demonstrated remarkable resistance and resilience to the Islamic State genocide in terms of returning to their ancient homelands, reconstructing their heritage sites and the re-emergence of their intangible...
This article develops the conceptual framework of the ritualization of heritage destruction to an... more This article develops the conceptual framework of the ritualization of heritage destruction to analyse and interpret the targeting of pre-monotheistic heritage sites and artefacts by the Islamic State. It draws upon anthropological studies of initiation rituals in violent male cults alongside literature on heritage destruction to conduct a systematic analysis of key Islamic State propaganda outlets. The analysis reveals that the heritage destruction wrought by the Islamic State functions as part of a broader process of ritualization that is instrumental in forming bonds between members and ensuring their allegiance. Such rituals serve multiple purposes: they physically and ideologically separate new recruits from existing social norms and laws; they breed a deference to leadership and create a unified identity towards the potentiality of violence; and they situate heritage destruction itself within a complex symbolic kaleidoscope of prescribed actions and specific attire, invoking c...
Heritage has been established as a core factor in shaping identity and community. Alongside the h... more Heritage has been established as a core factor in shaping identity and community. Alongside the human suffering and mass displacement arising from the conflicts in Iraq and Syria, there has been increased attention on heritage as a victim of war. While scholarship has predominantly focussed on the impacts of conflict on built heritage, through semi-structured interviews and oral histories produced in collaboration with three Syrian artisans displaced to Amman, I unravel the relationship between artisanal crafts, the intangible practices that manifest in them, and the spatial environments through which they are conceived. As such, I highlight processes of change occurring through migration in relation to this heritage, to illustrate how reconfigurations of space have led to reconfigurations of craft. By suggesting an approach that emphasises the reconfiguration of heritage rather than its destruction, I accentuate the resilience of people and processes of un- and re-making.
This is the program of a workshop and public film screening event due to be held at the National ... more This is the program of a workshop and public film screening event due to be held at the National Gallery of Victoria, Melbourne on 30-31 January 2019. Event curated by Ali Mozaffari Workshop co-conveners: Ali Mozaffari and David Harvey Film directed by Pejman Akbarzadeh
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Journal Articles and Book Chapters by Sofya Shahab
people have also demonstrated remarkable resistance and resilience to the Islamic State genocide in terms of returning to their ancient homelands, reconstructing their
heritage sites and the re-emergence of their intangible religious heritage practices. The article concludes by noting that the new insights gleaned from these interviews are a step towards better understanding the relationship between tangible and intangible heritage in the wake of conflict, genocide and mass heritage destruction.
Papers by Sofya Shahab
Event curated by Ali Mozaffari
Workshop co-conveners: Ali Mozaffari and David Harvey
Film directed by Pejman Akbarzadeh
people have also demonstrated remarkable resistance and resilience to the Islamic State genocide in terms of returning to their ancient homelands, reconstructing their
heritage sites and the re-emergence of their intangible religious heritage practices. The article concludes by noting that the new insights gleaned from these interviews are a step towards better understanding the relationship between tangible and intangible heritage in the wake of conflict, genocide and mass heritage destruction.
Event curated by Ali Mozaffari
Workshop co-conveners: Ali Mozaffari and David Harvey
Film directed by Pejman Akbarzadeh