Lebanese detainees in Syria. Transnationalism, Suffering, and Piety (completed)
My research explores the intersection of suffering and piety in the urban setting of Beirut. I focus on the religious practices and political activities of the families whose relatives have been victims of enforced disappearance during the Lebanese civil war (1975-1990), particularly those who have a family member in Syrian detention centers. These families have erected a permanent protest tent in downtown Beirut where I have done most of my ethnographic work. As such, the research brings together theoretical debates on piety, suffering, transnationalism and urban aspirations. In addition, my research contributes to the social history of the civil war as I focus on the Syrian military presence in Lebanon from 1976-2005 to explore the politics of urban piety in present day Lebanon.