Younes Saramifar

Living with the AK-47 Younes Saramifar

Understanding resistance movements and armed militias in the Middle East is key in unravelling this complex and sensitive region. This book focuses on the Hezbollah group in Lebanon, combining extensive ethnography with critical insights drawn from a range of disciplines including sociology, psychology and philosophy. Instead of approaching resistance or violence through received macro-formulations, the book concentrates on micro-narratives and spatial dynamics of two critical spaces - namely, Dahiya, a Shia-majority suburb of Beirut and Hezbollah's stronghold, and training camps, where volunteers metamorphose into militants. The book is unique in that it juxtaposes ethnographic narratives in such a way that they script their own rich tale of bodily tactics, 'resistance' and possible subjectivity in the realm of everyday life. They create a complex palimpsest of the history of Lebanon, Hezbollah and individuals striving to live under the 'Islamic sphere of influence', offsetting stereotypes and dominant historiography. This volume is a must-read for scholars, researchers, media analysts and policy groups engaged with the Middle East. It will be particularly relevant to the disciplines of Sociology, Social Anthropology, Geography, Psychology, International Relations and Area Studies with a focus on Lebanon.