Difference and disability in the medieval Islamic world : blighted bodies /
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Outlines the complex significance of bodies in the late Medieval central Arab Islamic lands. Did you know that blue eyes, baldness, bad breath and boils were all considered bodily 'blights' by Medieval Arabs, as were cross eyes, lameness and deafness? What assumptions about bodies influenced this particular vision of physical difference? How did blighted people view their own bodies? Through close analyses of anecdotes, personal letters, biographies and autobiographies, erotic poetry, non-binding legal opinions, diaristic chronicles and theological tracts, Kristina Richardson brings the cultural views and experiences of disability and difference in the medieval Islamic world to life. This title investigates the place of physically different, disabled and ill individuals in medieval Islam. It is organised around the lives and works of 6 Muslim men, each highlighting a different aspect of bodily difference. It addresses broad cultural questions relating to social class, religious orthodoxy, moral reputation, drug use, male homoeroticism and self-representation in the public sphere. It moves towards a coherent theory of medieval disability and bodily aesthetics in Islamic cultural traditions.
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ix,158 page : illustrations ; 25 cm. :
Includes bibliographical references (pages 138-156) and index. :
9780748645077
Interpreting welfare and relief in the Middle East /
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Based on different problematic and methodological perspectives and new sources, this book's contributions lie in the close study of welfare beyond the religious divides, codifications and indoctrinations. The time span - from 1850 to the present day - represents moments of colonisations, occupations, wars and conflicts which resulted in un-met needs and broken down institutions. What are the stories behind health care, schools, orphanages and vocational schools, maternity homes and hostels? The collection of chapters examine different involvements in welfare activities not only as contextualised in stable communities and nations, but also as they emerge in vulnerable states and disintegrating societies. Furthermore, this volume brings forth the historical and contemporary voices of those who provide relief and the beneficiaries of such efforts. At the core of this book are themes concerned with humanitarianism in relation to people's unique experiences, state and non-governmental organisations, gender and modernity.
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1 online resource. :
Includes bibliographical references and index. :
9789047423737 :
Available to subscribing member institutions only.