Mahmoud Dervesh and The Palestinian Resistance: A Study of His Selected Works (Published)
Palestinian poet Mahmoud Dervesh (1941-2008) also called “the Poet of the Resistance” wrote poems of resistance integral to every Arab’s consciousness which includes 30 poetry and prose collections, translated into 35 languages, making everybody hear about his love of his usurped homeland. His poetic works such as Olive Leaves (1964), A Lover from Palestine (1966), Siege for the Praises of the Sea (1984) and Why Have you Left the Horse Alone (1995) have largely defined the Palestinian resistance. In 1997 a documentary was produced about him by French TV directed by noted French-Israeli director Simone Bitton. Darvesh is the recipient of many international literary awards including the Lotus prize in 1969, the Lenin prize in 1983, France’s highest medal as Knight of Arts and Belles Lettres in 1997 and the Moroccan Wissam of intellectual merit was handed to him by King Mohammad VI of Morocco. In 2001, he won the Lannan prize, a prize which recognizes people whose extraordinary and courageous work celebrates the human right to freedom, of imagination, inquiry, and expression for cultural freedom. Dervesh was a member of the Executive Committee of the PLO and as a result of his political activism, faced house arrest and imprisonment. He was also the editor in chief and founder of the prestigious literary review Al Karmel.
Keywords: Diaspora, Eden, Identity, Palestine, Refugee, Resistance, Zionist., dervish, exile., intifada
Interrogating Foucauldian Concept of Power/Knowledge in Shakespeare’s The Tempest (Published)
This paper is an attempt to discuss the operation of power/knowledge and invisible disciplinary measures that are operational in Shakespeare’s tragi-comedy The Tempest. Prospero’s island in this play can be assumed as a metaphorical presentation of modern society where human behavior is determined by the implication of power/knowledge structure. The play validates Michel Foucault’s claim for omnipotent nature of Power being operated through the manipulations of Knowledge. Power and knowledge are inseparable and in order to make an effective society, modern institutions ceaselessly produce knowledge leading to “biopower”. These are the basic tenets of Michel Foucault’s conception of power/knowledge. Besides the theme of power, this play can also be analyzed basing on power relations and production of knowledge in both the court and exiled life. We have tried to analyze Shakespeare’s theme of power in The Tempest in the light of Foucault’s concepts and explore human relations based on the integrity of power/knowledge. However, the paper also shows the reversal of power relations in the form of resistance from the apparently docile and controlled bodies.
Keywords: Biopower, Disciplinary power, Panopticon, Power/knowledge, Resistance