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biopolitics, comment on chapter 1: Bodies with New Organs – Becoming Trans, Becoming Disabled

The first chapter of Jasbir Puar’s “The Right to Maim” delves into a complex interplay of bodies, identities, and the socio-political structures that govern them. Here are some essential findings and key takeaways, which we can then relate to the context of the Middle East:

  1. Somatechnologies and Social Bodies: Puar discusses the concept of somatechnologies, which refers to the ways in which demands for bodily alteration are also demands for new social bodies. This idea challenges neoliberal paradigms by emphasizing the interconnectedness of individual bodies and broader societal assemblages (page 50). In the Middle East, this can be seen in the context of gender reassignment surgery in Iran, where the state sanctions and subsidizes such surgeries. While on the surface this may appear as a progressive stance on transgender rights, it also enforces strict gender binaries and does not necessarily reflect a broader acceptance of LGBTQ+ identities.
  2. Transnormative Bodies and Neoliberalism: The chapter critiques the neoliberal celebration of bodily flexibility and the commodification of body parts, noting that the transnormative body that “pieces” is a reflection of market economies that value this piecing as a form of transgressive capacity when it is, in fact, constitutive of neoliberalism (page 56). The Middle East, particularly in the Gulf region, has seen a rise in medical tourism, cosmetic surgeries, and body modifications, driven by neoliberal market forces. Dubai, for instance, is becoming a hub for cosmetic surgery, reflecting the global commodification of body parts that Puar critiques. This trend raises questions about the ways in which economic liberalization influences body norms and ideals in the region.
  3. Intersectionality of Disability and Trans Identity: There is an exploration of the intersectionality between disability and trans identities, highlighting the exceptionalization of both trans and disabled bodies within socio-cultural and legal frameworks. This exceptionalization converts nonnormative debility into a form of social and cultural capacity (page 42). In the Middle East, the intersectionality of disability and trans identities can be particularly complex due to cultural, religious, and political factors. For example, in Iraq, transgender individuals face significant persecution, and those who are disabled due to war-related injuries may receive limited support and face social ostracization. The intersection of these identities can lead to compounded discrimination, where trans individuals who are also disabled may find themselves marginalized from both the broader society and within communities that advocate for either disability or LGBTQ+ rights. This intersectionality is critical to understand in regions affected by conflict, where the social infrastructure for support is often lacking, and where the bodies of disabled trans individuals can become sites of political, social, and medical contestation.
  4. Resistance and Control Economies: Puar engages with the idea of the body as a site of resistance to biopolitical control technologies, emphasizing the paradoxical condition of contemporary resistance where subjectivity is both an effect of control and a site of revolt (page 58). The concept of the body as a site of resistance is vividly illustrated in the Middle East by specific events and movements. For instance, during the Arab Spring, the self-immolation of Mohamed Bouazizi in Tunisia was a stark and tragic act of resistance that catalyzed widespread protests. In Egypt, the occupation of Tahrir Square involved a collective embodiment of protest where physical presence became a form of resistance against the regime. Additionally, in Iran, the women’s movement against compulsory hijab-wearing, exemplified by the “White Wednesdays” campaign, sees women risking imprisonment by publicly removing their hijabs. These acts of resistance are not only against specific policies but also challenge the broader economies of control that govern bodies and behavior in public spaces. Puar’s work invites us to consider how these bodies resist and how resistance itself is commodified or controlled by state powers, which can be seen in the subsequent crackdowns and surveillance of activists in these regions.
  5. Race, Gender, and Speciation: The text discusses the concept of becoming trans as a deterritorializing force that relates to gender, sex, race, and species, challenging the normativities and creating intensive differences (page 60). The Middle East’s diverse ethnic and religious landscape provides a complex backdrop for examining the intersections of race, gender, and species. For instance, the treatment of migrant workers, often from South Asia, in Gulf countries, can be critiqued through Puar’s lens of speciation, where certain bodies are deemed less valuable and are subjected to harsher working and living conditions.
  6. Legal and Political Entanglements: Puar critically examines the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and its role in shaping societal views and treatment of disability. The ADA, while groundbreaking, is argued to have inadvertently reinforced certain standards of bodily capacity and debility through the reproduction of gender normativity. This is integral to the productive potential of the disabled body. The Act is seen as creating a class of “untouchables” by allowing a space for permissible employer discrimination, particularly against those who do not conform to sexual and gender norms, marking them as outsiders. This legal framework contributes to what is termed “crip nationalism,” where certain disabilities are valorized as productive for national economies and ideologies, further marginalizing other disabilities. This tolerance of disability is negotiated through the disciplining of the body along other normative registers of sameness, including racial hierarchies (page 35).
    • Israel: The complexities of the ADA’s counterpart in Israel, the Equal Rights for Persons with Disabilities Law, can be seen in the context of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Disability rights within Israeli society are advanced compared to many other countries, but the situation for Palestinians, particularly those in the Occupied Territories, is markedly different. The intersection of disability with the racialized politics of occupation adds layers of marginalization for disabled Palestinians, who face barriers to mobility, healthcare, and social services.
    • Iran: In Iran, the legal framework for disability is influenced by Islamic principles and the government’s approach to social welfare. The Iranian government has made efforts to integrate disabled individuals into society, but traditional gender norms can complicate this, especially for women with disabilities, who may face double discrimination based on both disability and gender expectations.
    • Saudi Arabia: Saudi Arabia has been working on improving disability rights and has ratified the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities. However, the intersection of disability with gender can be particularly challenging due to the conservative nature of Saudi society, where gender roles are rigidly defined, and the guardianship system has only recently begun to be dismantled.
  7. Ontological Multiplicity: Puar introduces the concept of “ontological multiplicity,” which suggests an imagined affiliation between disability and trans identities. This affiliation is linked to racial and interspecies discourses that acknowledge the differentiation of variation and multiplicity (page 36). The idea here is that bodies are not fixed entities but are malleable composites of parts, capacities, and debilities. This perspective challenges the notion of discrete categories of identity and instead promotes a view of identities as fluid and interconnected.
    • Lebanon: In Lebanon, the organization “The Arab Foundation for Freedoms and Equality (AFE)” works on issues of sexual orientation, gender identity, and gender expression as well as disability rights. They advocate for inclusive health services that cater to both the LGBTQ+ community and individuals with disabilities. For example, AFE has highlighted the unique challenges faced by trans individuals with disabilities, who often experience compounded discrimination that is not adequately addressed by existing legal frameworks or social services.
    • Iran: The Iranian context presents a paradox. While transgender individuals can legally undergo gender reassignment surgery and have their new gender recognized, this is often encouraged as a solution for homosexuality, which is criminalized. This situation creates a complex interplay between the state’s enforcement of a gender binary through medicalization and the lived reality of gender-diverse individuals who may not fit neatly into state-sanctioned categories. So, the seemingly progressive stance interms of re-assigning gender is complicated by the lack of support for those who don’t conform to post-surgical gender norms or for those who are disabled as a result of surgery.

Relating these takeaways to the Middle East, we can consider how the region’s complex socio-political landscape interacts with these concepts. For example, the Middle East’s history of colonialism, conflict, and socio-political movements provides a rich context for examining the intersectionality of identities and the body as a site of resistance. The neoliberal market economies prevalent in some parts of the Middle East, particularly in the Gulf states, can be critiqued through Puar’s analysis of transnormative bodies and neoliberalism.

For example, we can ask:

  • How do neoliberal market economies in the Middle East contribute to the commodification of bodies, and how does this relate to Puar’s concept of the transnormative body?
  • In what ways do the intersectional identities of disability and trans manifest in Middle Eastern societies, and how are they shaped by cultural, legal, and political forces?
  • How might the body act as a site of resistance within the context of Middle Eastern geopolitics, and what forms might this resistance take?

biopolitics, commentary on session #1: preface and introduction

Maiming rights: between power and vulnerability

In the dimly lit corners of our collective consciousness, there lies a question, one that has been whispered in hushed tones in the grand halls of academia: What does it mean to have the right to maim? As I sat through the inaugural session of our biopolitics course, the weight of this question pressed somehow heavily upon me. It was like the sensation of a dense fog, obscuring the path ahead, yet beckoning me to venture deeper.

Jasbir Puar’s “The Right to Maim” is not just a book; it’s a provocation. It’s a challenge to our preconceived notions of power, control, and the human body. Remember Foucault’s musings on biopower? Puar takes it a step further, diving headfirst into the murky waters of debility, capacity, and disability. But let’s not get ahead of ourselves. Let’s start at the beginning, shall we?

The preface of “The Right to Maim” is akin to the opening sequence of a gripping film. It sets the stage, introduces the characters, and hints at the drama to unfold. But what truly caught my attention was the introduction. It’s here that Puar lays out their thesis, drawing us into a world where the body is both a site of resistance and subjugation. It’s reminiscent of Orwell’s “1984,” where power is not just about control but also about the ability to inflict pain. But Puar goes beyond Orwell, asking: What if power is not just about the right to inflict pain, but also the right to maim?

Now, fellow thinkers, I invite you to pause for a moment.

[trigger warning: imaginations of pain and conflict]

Close your eyes and imagine a world where the state has the authority to maim its citizens. It’s a chilling thought, isn’t it? But as Puar argues, this is not just a dystopian fantasy. It’s a reality for many, especially in conflict zones. Think of the countless stories from war- and conflict- and terror-inflicted places, where bodies are broken, not just to punish, but to control.

But why maim?
Why not kill?

This is where Puar’s argument becomes particularly intriguing. Maiming, she suggests, is a form of biopolitical control. It’s about creating a population that is perpetually debilitated, dependent, and thus easier to control. It’s a Machiavellian strategy, one that is both cruel and effective.

Yet, as I sat in that seminar room, listening to the first reflections on ableness, disability, debility, and activisim, I couldn’t help but wonder: Is there a silver lining? Can the maimed body also be a site of resistance? Can it challenge the very power structures that seek to control it?

In the world of pop culture, the underdog is celebrated, the one who rises against all odds. Think of characters like Furiosa from “Mad Max: Fury Road” or Bran Stark from “Game of Thrones.” Both are physically debilitated, yet they challenge and subvert the power structures around them – to a certain degree, and, of course, a matter of interpretation. Can real-life maimed bodies do the same?

As we venture deeper into “The Right to Maim,” I invite you to join in on this intellectual journey. Let’s explore the nuances of Puar’s arguments, challenge their assumptions, and perhaps, just perhaps, find some answers to these pressing questions.

In the words of the great philosopher Socrates, “The unexamined life is not worth living.” So let’s examine, let’s question, and let’s discover. After all, isn’t that what academia is all about?

biopolitics seminar – learning outcomes

By the end of this course, students will be able to:

  • Explain Puar’s concept of ‘debility’ and how it relates to disability and capacity in the context of biopolitics.
  • Analyze how states and institutions use disability, debility, and capacity to control and manage populations, drawing on examples from the Israel-Palestine conflict.
  • Identify and critique problematic representations of disability, injury, and victimhood in media and discourse related to the Middle East.
  • Connect Puar’s concepts to other scholarly works on necropolitics, precarity, and biopower in the region.
  • Discuss strategies used by disability activists and advocacy groups to counter dominant narratives and promote social justice.
  • Apply Puar’s analytical framework to examine other regional case studies beyond Israel-Palestine.
  • Communicate perspectives on these issues clearly through discussions, brief oral presentations, and a final blog post.
  • Provide constructive feedback to fellow students to enrich collective understanding.
  • Demonstrate critical thinking skills in evaluating arguments and evidence on topics related to the course.

biopolitics seminar – syllabus

1 – 16.10.2023 10–12 – reading time // self-study

Read Puar, Jasbir K. 2017. The Right to Maim. Durham. Duke University Press. Preface and introduction. ix–32.

NOTE: Use this day/week to read the information here on the course, assigments, participation, etc. and the first part of Puar’s text. There will be no introductory session; we will jump right in on Monday 23!

2 – 23.10.2023 10–12 discussion – preface & introduction

3 – 30.10.2023 10–12 reading time // self-study

Read Puar, Jasbir K. 2017. The Right to Maim. Durham. Duke University Press. Chapter 1 “Bodies with New Organs: Becoming Trans, Becoming Disabled”. 33–62.

4 – 6.11.2023 10–12 discussion – trans & disability

5 – 13.11.2023 10–12 reading time // self-study

Read Puar, Jasbir K. 2017. The Right to Maim. Durham. Duke University Press. Chapter 2 “Crip Nationalism: From Narrative Prosthesis to Disaster Capitalism”. 63–94.

6 – 20.11.2023 10–12 discussion – disability politics

7– 27.11.2023 10–12 reading time // self-study

Read Puar, Jasbir K. 2017. The Right to Maim. Durham. Duke University Press. Chapter 3 “Disabled Diaspora, Rehabilitating State: The Queer Politics of Reproduction in Palestine/Israel”. 95–126.

8– 4.12.2023 10–12 discussion – queer politics Israel/Palestine

Task in preparation of 11.12.: Listen to the podcast episode on “The Right to Maim”with Bassam Sidiki on https://newbooksnetwork.com/the-right-to-maim and comment on it in the blog.

9 – 11.12.2023 10–12 discussion – references to the right to maim

10 – 18.12.2023 10–12 reading time // self-study

Read Puar, Jasbir K. 2017. The Right to Maim. Durham. Duke University Press. Chapter 4 “”Will Not Let Die”: Debilitation and Inhuman Biopolitics in Palestine”. 127–154.

11 – 8.1.2024 10–12 discussion – biopolitics in Palestine

12 – 15.1.2024 10–12 reading time // self-study

Read Mbembe, Achille. 2019. Necropolitics. Durham. Duke University Press. Chapter to be announced.

13 – 22.1.2024 10–12 discussion – necropolitics

Task in preperation of 5.2.: Read Puar, Jasbir K. 2017. The Right to Maim. Durham. Duke University Press. Postscript. 155-162.

14 – 5.2.2024 10–12 – course wrap-up

15 – 12.2.2024 10–12 – individual follow-up

Task: Publish your final blog comment until 19.2.2024 6 PM.

Biopolitics and Disability: Navigating Jasbir K. Puar’s “The Right to Maim” in the Middle East

In our seminar, we will delve into Jasbir K. Puar's groundbreaking work, "The Right to Maim," interrogating how power structures in the Middle East employ biopolitics to manage populations. We will scrutinize Puar's innovative concept of 'debility' and its interaction with disability and capacity. Beyond the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, our exploration will extend to other regional scenarios, such as the impact of Syria's civil conflict and the predicaments of migrant laborers in the Gulf States. By analyzing these contexts through Puar's 'right to maim' thesis, we aim to stir a lively discourse on the intersections of power, bodily harm, and social exclusion within the Middle Eastern milieu.
~ commentary from the course catalogue