Self-immolation is the act of setting oneself on fire. It is mostly done for political or religious reasons, often as a form of protest or in acts of martyrdom, and known for its disturbing and violent nature.
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👉 Self-immolation in the context of 2010–2012 Algerian protests
The 2010–2012 Algerian protests were a series of protests taking place throughout Algeria, lasting from 28 December 2010 to 10 January 2012. The protests had been inspired by similar protests across the Middle East and North Africa. Causes cited by the protesters included unemployment, the lack of housing, food-price inflation, corruption, restrictions on freedom of speech and poor living conditions. While localized protests were already commonplace over previous years, extending into December 2010, an unprecedented wave of simultaneous protests and riots, sparked by sudden rises in staple food prices, erupted all over the country starting in January 2011. These were quelled by government measures to lower food prices, but were followed by a wave of self-immolations, most of them in front of government buildings. Opposition parties, unions, and human rights organisations then began to hold weekly demonstrations, despite these being illegal without government permission under the ongoing state of emergency; the government suppressed these demonstrations as far as possible, but in late February yielded to pressure and lifted the state of emergency. Meanwhile, protests by unemployed youth, typically citing unemployment, hogra (oppression), and infrastructure problems, resumed, occurring almost daily in towns scattered all over the country.
In this Dossier
- ⭐ Core Definition: Self-immolation
- 👉 Self-immolation in the context of 2010–2012 Algerian protests
- Self-immolation in the context of Agnipravesham
- Self-immolation in the context of Battle of Peshawar (1001)
- Self-immolation in the context of Buddhist devotion
- Self-immolation in the context of Jan Palach
- Self-immolation in the context of Jan Zajíc
- Self-immolation in the context of Kostas Georgakis
Self-immolation in the context of Agnipravesham
Agnipravesham (Sanskrit: अग्निप्रवेशम, romanized: Agnipraveśam, lit. 'Fiery entrance'), also called Agnipariksha (Sanskrit: अग्निपरीक्षा, romanized: Agniparīkṣā, lit. 'fiery ordeal') is the mythical practice of self-immolation described in Hindu literature. It is primarily associated with the ordeal of Sita in the Ramayana, and is regarded to be a custom inspired by Vedic tradition.
Self-immolation in the context of Battle of Peshawar (1001)
The Battle of Peshawar was fought on 27 November 1001 between the Ghaznavid army of Mahmud of Ghazni and the Hindu Shahi army of Jayapala, near Peshawar. Jayapala was defeated and captured, and as a result of the humiliation of the defeat, he later immolated himself in a funeral pyre. This is the first of many major battles in the expansion of the Ghaznavid Empire into the Indian subcontinent by Mahmud.
Self-immolation in the context of Buddhist devotion
Devotion, a central practice in Buddhism, refers to commitment to religious observances or to an object or person, and may be translated with Sanskrit or Pāli terms like saddhā, gārava or pūjā. Central to Buddhist devotion is the practice of Buddhānussati, the recollection of the inspiring qualities of the Buddha. Although buddhānussati was an important aspect of practice since Buddhism's early period, its importance was amplified with the arising of Mahāyāna Buddhism. Specifically, with Pure Land Buddhism, many forms of devotion were developed to recollect and connect with the celestial Buddhas, especially Amitābha.
Most Buddhists use ritual in pursuit of their spiritual aspirations. Common devotional practices are receiving a blessing, making merit, making a resolution, prostrating, making offerings, chanting, confession and repentance, and pilgrimage. Moreover, many types of visualizations, recollections and mantras are used in Buddhist meditation in different traditions to devote oneself to a Buddha, bodhisattva, or a teacher / guru. The often politically motivated practice of self-immolation is a less common aspect of devotion in some Buddhist communities.
Self-immolation in the context of Jan Palach
Jan Palach (Czech pronunciation: [jan ˈpalax]; 11 August 1948 – 19 January 1969) was a Czech student of history and political economics at Charles University in Prague. His self-immolation in 1969 at the age of 20 was a political protest against the Warsaw Pact invasion of Czechoslovakia in 1968 which brought an end to the Prague Spring.
Self-immolation in the context of Jan Zajíc
Jan Zajíc (died 25 February 1969) was a Czech student who killed himself by self-immolation as a political protest.
Self-immolation in the context of Kostas Georgakis
Kostas Georgakis (Greek: Κώστας Γεωργάκης; 23 August 1948 – 19 September 1970) was a Greek student studying geology in Italy. On 26 July 1970, while in Italy, he gave an interview denouncing the dictatorial regime of Georgios Papadopoulos. The junta retaliated by attacking him, pressuring his family, and rescinding his military exemption. In a final, fatal, protest in the early hours of 19 September 1970, Georgakis set himself ablaze in Matteotti square in Genoa. He died later that day, and his funeral on 22 September was attended by an estimated 1,500 people, including Greek actress Melina Mercouri. After being briefly interred in Genoa, his remains were transported by ship to Corfu, and on 18 January 1971 he was buried. After the junta collapsed, the Government of Greece erected a monument and plaque in his home town of Corfu, another plaque was placed in Matteotti Square, and multiple poems have been written in his honor.