Self-Immolations Spread Across the Region

Reports continue to emerge of copy-cat self-immolations, or suicide by fire, across North Africa in Egypt, Algeria and Mauritania. These come following the self-immolation of Mohammad Bouazizi which sparked the protests in Tunisia that led to the overthrow of Tunisian President Ben Ali. Dr. Michael Biggs and John L Esposito state that self-immolations are rare in the Middle East both historically and in modern times; emphasizing these events signal a drastic new trend in the region. Blake Hounshell, writing at FP Passport, states that, “There is something horrifying and, in a way, moving about these suicide attempts. It’s a shocking, desperate tactic that instantly attracts attention, revulsion, but also sympathy.”