291:, which conflicts with his view of spirituality. In his biography, he recounts how the Communist Party "only ever taught me to criticize and despise traditions, its heritage and its history, and to revolt against the State and society (...) In all the cultural meetings of the party that I attended, in the numerous books and documents that I studied, never was Iraqi history and civilization mentioned, nor its people, its towns and villages, its ethnic or confessional groups… Everything we were taught about our country was limited to the struggle of the Communist Party, the struggle of the proletarians, the peasant revolts, and the Kurdish cause." Breaking from his initial worldview as a "universalist materialist", he redefined himself as a "spiritual humanist": a defence of cultural diversity, recognising the plural nature of national identity, believing in cosmic forces without basis in a specific religion, and being open to studying diverse beliefs from around the world.
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cannot believe in the collectivity and what lies further. Therefore, if we are not attached to our own people and own identity, we cannot be attached to humanity as a whole." From this foundation, Matar began to fixate on the concept of national identity, in particular the identity of Iraqis in exile. A central focus of his body of work, beginning with
570:
Anna
Pasotti : TRINCEE, ACQUITRINI E DEDALI DI DESERTI: LA FIGURA DELLA TERRA IN "LA DONNA DELL’AMPOLLA" DI SELIM MATAR/ELABORATO FINALE DI/Matricola 711604/UNIVERSITA LEGLI ATUDI DI MILANO/ FACOLTA' DI LETTERE E FILOSOFIA – FACOLTA' DI SCIENZE POLITICHE/CORSO DI LAUREA IN MEDIAZIONE LINGUSTICA
245:
for combat training. Kicked out of the camp after a week for criticising the party's bureaucratic structure, he subsequently migrated throughout the Middle East over the following two years, "accumulating experiences that were as revolutionary and impulsive as they were naïve and thoughtless..." He
294:
One of Matar's fundamental theses is that "the exterior is the reflection of the interior; every individual essence contains also the essence of the universe. Therefore, individual identity is the basis of all other forms of identity. If we do not believe in ourselves and in what surrounds us, we
258:
in late 1980 and spent the following eight months in abject poverty. With only a meagre income from drawing tourists' caricatures, he often resorted to sleeping in squats and begging from churches in order to survive. Matar's first attempted move to
Switzerland was aborted when his money and
197:
as a teenager. His autobiography recounts it as a seminal moment: "The poor boy from the south whose dream was limited to being accepted by a family, however small, was suddenly part of this large international family made up of magnificent
Europeans, blond, civilized and full of illustrious
250:'s factionalism and infighting, which was further worsened by the manipulations of secret service infiltrators and external groups: "They used us as pawns on a chessboard by sheltering behind revolutionary slogans. We were puppets."
185:
school as one of its few Muslim students, he had a greater exposure to
Western products and ideas than what the norm for Baghadi youth was at the time, leading him to embrace atheism and progressive ideas in his adolescence.
286:
In
Switzerland, Matar distanced himself from communism for its internationalist and economic viewpoint, which he considers to be in conflict with national identity and the importance of culture, as well as its basis in
919:
253:
Deeming himself unfit for the life of a militant, Matar decided instead to serve the Iraqi cause through cultural avenues and made plans to seek an education in Europe; after securing an
Italian visa, he moved to
177:, where the young Selim often worked after school. While delivering food and drinks to guards, prisoners and interrogators in the Directorate, he would occasionally witness scenes of torture. Growing up in a poor
446:(2008; English translation: Encyclopedia of Iraqi Languages) An encyclopedia of the languages spoken in Iraq throughout the centuries, living and dead, as well as the cultures of its linguistic communities.
805:
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264:
83:
453:(2010; English translation: Encyclopedia of the Iraqi Environment) Detailing the geology and nature of Iraq, as well as the ecological challenges caused by industry, conflict, and pollution.
580:
autobiographic text from the journal
Quatara, Paris: Mon pays éphémère/Salim Matar/Qantara: magazine des cultures arabe et méditerranéenne, ISSN 1148-2648, Nº. 85, 2012, págs. 72-73
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is an Iraqi-Swiss writer, historian, and public intellectual who is the founder and editor-in-chief of the journal
Mesopotamia. Much of his body of work meditates on the nature of
408:
In 2004, Matar published the first issue of the journal
Mesopotamia, focusing primarily on Iraqi culture and history. Since its founding, he has also served as editor-in-chief.
142:; his concepts and theories, centring on the "Identity of the Iraqi Nation", gave rise to the eponymous cultural movement that grew out of it. He is chiefly known for his works
33:
923:
299:, has been the "identity of the Iraqi nation", which developed into a cultural movement of the same name. The movement's genesis proper can be traced to the publication of
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Matar's adherence to pacifism, belief in national unity and opposition to ethnic and religious sectarianism has been the source of controversy inside and outside of Iraq.
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as well as other intellectuals, scientists, politicians and activists." He initially worked as a civil servant to support his family before fleeing to
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421:(2005; English translation: Encyclopedia of Iraqi Cities) Laying out the geography and history of Iraqi provinces and their principal cities.
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414:(2004; English translation: 5000 Years of Iraqi Femininity) Detailing the history of Iraqi women from ancient times to the modern day..
428:(2006; English translation: 5000 Years of Iraqi Religiosity) Detailing the history of the different religions and confessions of Iraq.
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Selim Matar was given a patronym from his father in lieu of a surname, as is common in Arabic naming conventions. It lacks the
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970:جدل الهويات: عرب .. أكراد .. تركمان .. سريان .. يزيدية : صراع الانتماءات في ... - Salı̄m Maṭar, مطر، سليم, مردان، نصرت
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particle, which is a uniquely Iraqi practice. Following his move to
Switzerland, he adopted Matar as his formal surname.
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Matar is the author of several treatises, essays, novels and short stories, which he has made available free of charge.
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435:(2008; English translation: Encyclopedia of Kirkûk, the Heart of Iraq) Dedicated to the history and geography of the
326:(1990; English translation: The Woman of the Flask) 1990 Recipient of the "Al-Naqed" Prize for best Arabic novel.
736:"Les séquelles de l'histoire, L'Irak, de Babel à Babel, Qantara, magazine des cultures arabe et méditerranéenne"
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550:"Paroles irakiennes : n'oubliez pas Bagdad ! - Fax Culture - TV - Play RTS - Radio Télévision Suisse"
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338:(2008; English translation: The Confessions of a Man without Shame) Partially adapted into a play in 2010.
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600:"Après vingt-cinq ans d'exil, Selim Matar est retourné à Bagdad, un voyage au goût amer - Le Temps"
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in 1996, a treatise on the crisis of national identity in the face of conflict and exile.
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Matar currently lives in Geneva with his wife Marguerite, a professor of Arabic at the
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898:"تحميل كــتــاب المنظمات السرية التي تحكم العالم - سليم مطر pdf | بوك فور ميديا"
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in 1956 as the fourth of eight children to parents Matar and Wabria. Originally from
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with the ruling Ba'ath Party, became subject to a campaign of lethal repression by
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855:"الذات الجريحة، إشكالات الهوية في العراق والعالم العربي 'الشرقمتوسطي' - سليم مطر"
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with fellow exiles, Matar was transferred to a Palestinian military camp in
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family in one of the city's richest neighbourhoods and attending a majority-
399:(2012; English translation: The Project of the Rebirth of the Iraqi Nation)
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Interview avec Selim Matar, Journal Le Temps, Genève,19 February 2004/
387:(2011; English translation: Baghdad – Geneva: In search of a homeland)
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169:, his parents had moved to the capital before his birth and opened a
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in late 1978 on party orders after the communists, then part of the
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Neue Zürcher Zeitung, 6. Juni 2007 Wenn die Palme Wurzeln schlägt
693:"Eclairage – Des cafés littéraires de Bagdad aux cafés virtuels"
332:(1996; English translation: Wounded Identity/The Wounded Self) .
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274:. Their son Bassim, born in 1990, works as an IT specialist in
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Theories on nationalism and the "identity of the Iraqi nation"
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381:(2001; English translation: The New Iraq and the New Thought)
393:(2011; English translation: The Awakening of Iraqi Identity)
265:
Graduate Institute of International and Development Studies
84:
Graduate Institute of International and Development Studies
350:(2013; English translation: 7000 Years of Living History)
375:(2003; English translation: The Debate of Identities)
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In exile, he was initially involved with the party's
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1175:"< <íéÎ]†ÃÖ]<íòéfÖ]<íÂç‰çÚ"
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356:(2022; English translation: The Planet of Ecstasy)
237:paramilitary wing; after spending three months in
344:(2001; English translation: The Secret Societies)
1051:. Mesopot.com. 16 February 2012. Archived from
412:1. Khamsat alâf 'âm min al-unûtha al-'irâqiyyah
697:Annuaire Suisse de Politique de Développement
259:documents were stolen; he finally settled in
8:
385:Bagdad – Genève: A la recherche d’une patrie
16:Iraqi-Swiss historian and writer (born 1956)
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439:, as well as its demographics and culture.
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426:Khamsat alâf 'âm min al-tadayyun al-'irâqî
404:Selected editions of Mesopotamia (Journal)
369:(2000; English translation: The Lost Twin)
31:
20:
834:. Complete-review.com. 12 December 2008
541:
516:
1024:"íéÎ]†ÃÖ]<íèç]<í¿Ïè"
832:"The Woman of the Flask - Selim Matar"
348:Al-Irâq, saba’tu alâf 'âm min al-hayât
246:became intensely disillusioned by the
379:Al-Irâq al-djadîd wa-l-fikr al-djadîd
93:Writer, novelist, historian, academic
7:
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397:Mashrû' al-ihyâh al-watanî al-'irâqî
1180:. Salim.mesopot.com. Archived from
922:. Salim.mesopot.com. Archived from
808:. Salim.mesopot.com. Archived from
656:. Salim-mesopot.com. Archived from
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263:in late 1981 and enrolled in the
738:. pp. 40–43. Archived from
699:(27–2). Aspd.revues.org: 69–72.
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463:
444:Mawsû’at al-lughât al-'irâqiyyah
419:Mawsû’ah al-madâ’in al’irâqiyyah
602:(in French). 19 February 2004.
451:Mawsû’at al-bî’ah al-'irâqiyyah
175:Directorate of General Security
876:"اعترافات رجل لا يستحي !"
391:Yaqzat al-huwiyyah al-irâqiyya
336:I’tirâfât radjulin lâ yastahyî
1:
1269:21st-century Swiss historians
1264:Former atheists and agnostics
1129:. Mesopot.com. Archived from
1103:. Mesopot.com. Archived from
1077:. Mesopot.com. Archived from
1049:"ميزوبوتاميا عدد حزيران 2012"
1002:"العراق الجديد والفكر الجديد"
433:Mawsû’at Kirkuk qalb al-'Irâq
1234:20th-century Iraqi novelists
193:student wing, he joined the
128:http://www.salim.mesopot.com
947:"التوأم المفقود - سليم مطر"
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189:After a brief stint in the
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224:National Progressive Front
1239:Immigrants to Switzerland
342:Al-munazammât al-sirriyah
30:
920:"العراق الصفحة الداخلية"
157:Selim Matar was born in
691:Duclos, Diane (2008).
354:La Planète de l'extase
297:The Woman of The Flask
144:The Woman of the Flask
734:Matar, Selim (1999).
310:Selected bibliography
195:Iraqi Communist Party
1187:on 24 September 2015
272:University of Geneva
1055:on 13 February 2020
967:سليم, مطر، (2003).
945:سليم, مطر، (2001).
878:. Salim.mesopot.com
786:. Salim.mesopot.com
367:Al-taw’am al-mafqûd
111:Marguerite Gavillet
1249:Historians of Iraq
1229:Iraqi nationalists
1153:"كتاب ميزويوتاميا"
853:مطر, سليم (2000).
437:Kirkuk Governorate
330:Al-Dhât al-djarîha
1101:"محتويات العدد 5"
742:on 10 August 2014
651:"Bagdad - Geneve"
500:Iraqi nationalism
471:Literature portal
373:Djadal a-huwiyyât
324:Imra’at al-Qârûra
167:Maysa governorate
148:The Wounded Self.
140:Iraqi nationalism
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72:Other names
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1259:Iraqi deists
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764:. Al Jazeera
762:"الجزيرة.نت"
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1224:1956 births
571:E CULTURALE
485:Iraq portal
361:Other works
289:materialism
136:Selim Matar
75:Salim Matar
58:Nationality
25:Selim Matar
1218:Categories
613:6 February
537:References
608:1423-3967
183:Christian
153:Biography
552:. Rts.ch
457:See also
235:Al-Ansar
220:Bulgaria
116:Children
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243:Lebanon
159:Baghdad
124:Website
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261:Geneva
216:Castro
208:Engels
191:Ba'ath
171:bistro
163:Amarah
108:Spouse
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511:Notes
239:Sofia
200:Lenin
66:Swiss
62:Iraqi
1193:2015
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