An extraordinary truth? The Ādam "suicide" notes from Bangladesh
In 2007, nine members of the Ādam family committed suicide in a small town of Bangladesh. They had left suicide notes inside the house. The Ādams believed in an anti-Islamic faith, the Ādam "religion," founded by the father, Abdul Ādam, who had died seven years ago. Only one of the members...
Main Author: | |
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Format: | Electronic Article |
Language: | English |
Check availability: | HBZ Gateway |
Journals Online & Print: | |
Fernleihe: | Fernleihe für die Fachinformationsdienste |
Published: |
2010
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In: |
Mental health, religion & culture
Year: 2010, Volume: 13, Issue: 3, Pages: 223-244 |
Further subjects: | B
Bangladesh
B Islam B Ādam B Delusion B kufri kalam B Suicide B new religion |
Online Access: |
Volltext (lizenzpflichtig) |
Summary: | In 2007, nine members of the Ādam family committed suicide in a small town of Bangladesh. They had left suicide notes inside the house. The Ādams believed in an anti-Islamic faith, the Ādam "religion," founded by the father, Abdul Ādam, who had died seven years ago. Only one of the members of the Ādam family is still alive, a daughter who was not part of the mass suicide. Most newspapers in the country reported the incident, but few journalists explored the story in depth. Based on a close reading of the suicide notes and a brief analysis of the major newspaper reports, the author argues that while the Ādam "religion" was rooted in the Be-shara (against orthodoxy) tradition within Islam, the Ādams were also suffering from a shared delusion. The Ādams probably practiced kufri kalam (underground satanic practice), and they were part of the sub-culture of protest existing in contemporary Bangladesh. |
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ISSN: | 1469-9737 |
Contains: | Enthalten in: Mental health, religion & culture
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Persistent identifiers: | DOI: 10.1080/13674670903061230 |