DISOWNING FAMILY MEMBERS IN PALESTINE

Abstract

In recent years, dozens of families in Palestine have publicly disowned male relatives who have transgressed social or sexual norms in some way. In this article, we contend that such acts of disowning are, for Palestinian families, a means of protection from public shaming. We contrast the discourse of disowning transgressive males with the ‘honour killing’ of transgressive females. Disownment is almost never an option for female relatives who commit similar transgressions. By severing contact with male relatives who have violated hegemonic ideals of loyalty to one’s nation, self-control, and sacrifice, families can deflect accusations of complicity. The hegemony of these ideals is maintained by punishing those who ally themselves with the Israeli occupation, are homosexuals, or are seen as ‘transgressive’ women. The article demonstrates that familial relations can be regarded as discontinuous: biological ties can be severed both linguistically and physically. The discourse of disowning, which, to the best of our knowledge, has not been scrutinised in contemporary Palestine will be analysed within the interrelated webs of traditions, religion, and politics.