“The
RSS is an order of Hindu fanatics loosely modeled
on Nazi storm troopers. In their trademark starched
khaki 'half-pants' they are slightly ludicrous brownshorts,
not brownshirts. But with their help, India would
have its own modest genocide in the partition riots
of 1947.”
—from Kai Friese's “The Aryan Handshake”
TRANSITION 83: Table of Contents
DISPATCHES____________________
The Aryan Handshake
For a century, anthropologists, liguists, and fascists
have trekked to India, questing after the cradle of white
civilization. These days, the pilgrims arrive by tourist
bus, but their mission is the same: they seek enlightenment,
excitement . . . and Aryan seed. Kai
Friese reflects on India after race science.
Virtual Beirut
In Lebanon today, guerilla warfare seems passe. New buildings
grow like weeds by the waterfront, and the Army of God has a
Web site. Lawrence Chua
considers life during boom time.
MEMOIR____________________
ExodusIn the seventies, the road out of Ethiopia was paved with little miracles: walled cities, giant snakes, and the munificence of St. Gabriel.Nega Mezlekia remembers famine and the family vacation.
POSITIONS____________________
Exquisite CorpseWhen James Byrd died, tethered to the back of a pickup truck, his story was everywhere: reported in the newspapers, discussed on the radio, mocked in a parade. But the body itself was nowhere to be seen. Ashraf Rushdy assays lynching, legislation, and the politics of looking.
The Women of Islam
Against the strictures and edicts of Islamic orthodoxy, there stands
another Islam, subtle, elusive—and feminine. Leila Ahmed reflects on literacy, orality, and the
antinomies of Arab nationalism.
UNDER REVIEW____________________
Destroy All MonstersEuropeans love ghost stories. And when they voyaged to Africa they brought their bogeyman with them: half-dead bodies, savage rulers, a cannibal holocaust. Muhonjia Khaminwa asks, How does it feel to be a nightmare?
FICTION____________________
A Spoonful of Broscht
The brother is a Jew.
By Paul Beatty