UTC Faculty, Staff, and the general public are invited to attend the
following Philosophy and Religion Seminar:


"The Suicide Bomber Becomes a Goddess: Women, Theosis, and Sacrificial
Violence in South Asia"


Presented by Dr. William Harman, Department of Philosophy and Religion
Wednesday, October 18, 2006
Holt 124 at 3:00 p.m.
 

Tamil Hindus of Sri Lanka were probably the first organized group in the
world to use suicide bombing as a strategic weapon. Among Sri Lankan suicide
bombers, nearly half the perpetrators are women. In part, this is because
self sacrifice by Tamil women is considered a basic virtue and a religious
calling. Several Hindu religious narratives purvey this message. This talk
will isolate religious narratives focusing on how two specific goddesses
achieved status as deities because, as women, they endured remarkable
injustice and oppression. These divine narratives, then, provide the model
for how Tamil women today should face institutional injustice perceived to
be administered by the Sinhala Sri Lankan majority.

 



William Harman, Head
Department of Philosophy and Religion (# 2753)
The University of Tennessee at Chattanooga
232 E Holt Hall // 615 McCallie Avenue
Chattanooga, Tennessee 37403 USA
(423) 425-4336  // fax (423)425-4153 

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