Particularidades del Montaje
4.2 AISLACIONES Y REVESTIMIENTOS .1 Exterior de panel
4.2.3 Interior de panel
As described in the previous section, popular narratives have made the themes of cremation and burial ‘common knowledge’ (Hjarvard, 2006, p. 10) in Mus- lim communities in Venlo. It is a type of knowledge that is still fluid, as there is still lively interaction that both presents and moulds their views on the context they live in right now. Although these popular narratives centre on cremation and burial, they offer a much broader view that transcends these topics. In their narratives Muslims in Venlo evolve their perception of the context they are living in. This migration context challenges them to deal with death and it is al- so the context in which they actually perform their death rites. Personal and popular narratives define the real-life context and show that this context is closely connected with the context of origin. This affects the way they (ritually) act. Narratives instigate, represent and mould a process of re-imagination that warrants a closer look.
Where we come from you are surrounded by Muslims, you really grow up like a Muslim, so when someone dies everybody knows what to do. You can simply ask the neighbours. That is so different here, nobody knows anything. (Personal interview Mo, 26 November 2010)
We have referred to Amadou’s shock on finding himself at the cremation cere- mony of a Dutch friend (chapter 2, §2.2.4). But even less confrontational expe- riences at ‘Dutch funerals’ make Muslims think about their own death rites, in relation to either their context of origin or the current context of Venlo:
I’ve been to several funerals here in Venlo, you hear from colleagues or their relatives… And some things were really beautiful, like the way the Dutch can express their emotions in words. It is so much more dignified than the unre- strained emotional crying and shouting that I am used to. I know Islam is against this kind of extreme emotional expression of grief, but people do it anyway – they can learn from the Dutch in this regard… But then there is this music! Bang! That I can’t get used to, with loud music like this you have no respect for the deceased… (Personal interview Dilek, 20 January 2010) My husband is from here [Venlo], he is a Catholic … so I did go to Catholic funerals here with him. What really surprises me is that you don’t see the per- son getting buried! You leave the cemetery and the coffin is still standing there… How can you be sure that your loved one is actually buried there? It is
important to know that they are there when you come back to visit their grave, it is what I am used to. If I have to burry people that are close to me, I really want to stay and see the coffin go into the soil… (Personal interview Shukri, 24 November 2010)
It is such narratives that make people rediscover and re-imagine death ritual that might lead to a re-invention of death rites that accord with the given circum- stances.
5.4.1 Re-imagining death rites
When confronted with death in a new context people often have to improvise because of the very different context. But they also rely on experiences, memo- ries and (family) traditions they know from their home countries. Thus for most Muslims in Venlo (death) ritual is closely connected with their context of origin. People re-imagine how the ritual was performed or, even more compel- lingly, how it should be performed in the original context and how to translate this to their new context. This powerful form of re-imagination is what Ronald Grimes (2000, p. 111) calls fantasy: “the fantasy of a ritual, more than the memory of it, often determines practice.” Grimes defines this particular way of imagining as self-preoccupied and projective, leading to reinvention of ritual. This process of re-imagining/fantasy involves both the context of origin and the present context, and the way people relate to them is expressed in an extensive body of narratives.
Narratives originate, circulate and are adapted in different communities (ethnic groups, social groups, families; also internet forums and refugee cen- tres). There are stories about personal experiences, religious regulations (like eternal grave rest), the Dutch ritual practice of death rites (especially crema- tion), Dutch government regulations and how other Muslim communities in the new context practise Islam and Islamic ritual. They not only interact with the current context but also influence Muslims’ perception of their original context. The narratives link past and present, creating a ‘remembered past’ to fit the pre- sent – it constitutes past experience and at the same time makes sense of it (Lawler, 2002, p. 248).
We see that the original context is often romanticised and presented as an ideal world where in the event of a death one can go to any neighbour, who will know how to proceed. This often contrasts with narratives about the present context, which are strongly influence by the fact that here Muslims are a mi- nority – and one has to be wary of cremation! In some cases this disoriented,
marginalised position makes it impossible to perform the ritual washing and shrouding according to a fixed tradition (religion, culture, family), necessitating re-imagination, improvisation and re-invention of (parts of) the ritual practice.
5.5 Conclusion
To determine the role of narratives in the construction of meaning we studied personal and popular narratives. These narratives guided us through the process of re-imagining that afforded insight into the ritual dynamics of a migration context. In answering our research questions we again turn to our key concepts. 5.5.1 Ritual practice
How do narratives impact on ritual practice?
Through narratives Muslims interact with that context in order to construct meaning and bring order to their lives. Thus narratives define both the present context and the context of origin, expressing ideas, attitudes and fantasies. Ritu- al practice in Venlo takes shape between those two contexts that are presented as opposites: an ideal, glorified original context and a problematic present con- text. Muslims in Venlo deal with this tension by genuinely seeking clear guide- lines on how to perform death rites (or have them performed) ‘correctly’. They consult or hire imams or other specialists, they attend courses, read books and visit internet sites that offer clear, fixed guidelines and proceed on their authori- ty. They don’t (often simply can’t) just take over a ritual repertoire from the context of origin: it won’t fit their present circumstances and usually they have no knowledge or experience of the ritual practice. So through narratives death rites are re-imagined and reinvented to suit the present context. In this re- imaging process people draw on experiences that might vary greatly among the Muslims communities in Venlo: originating from different countries and re- gions, having different ethnic and cultural backgrounds and their own personal biography. Besides, people’s migration experience might vary, as might their religious affiliation. These nuances can be traced in people’s narratives and counter-narratives and they affect ritual practice. In particular public death rites (like burials) are reshaped by popular narratives and seem to become fairly uni- form, whereas more private rites (like the ritual cleansing of the deceased and grave visits) become refuges for ritual creativity that reflect greater diversity.
5.5.2 Migration context
How do migration, context and narratives interact?
Muslim migrants in Venlo find themselves in a context where they experience disorientation and marginality, which becomes more evident in the face of death. Dying in this particular context raises unavoidable issues and questions. The confrontation with Dutch society and the way people handle death and death rites in Venlo, personal experiences of death and death rites are slotted into stories that both reflect and shape the context they are living in. The context of origin is an unmistakable part of the current context and in narratives that past and the present are brought together, trying to make sense of experiences in both contexts. These narratives show that death rites are shaped ‘between’ con- texts.
5.5.3 Ritual content: meaning
What is the role of narratives in the construction of ritual meaning?
Narratives define both the present context and the context of origin, and they do not necessarily do it in a factual way. They weave worlds of meaning, ‘webs of significance’, in which death rites are performed. Via the themes of cremation and burial we can see how Muslims in Venlo try to make sense of their experi- ences and turn them into a collective understanding. We see fragments of the meta-narrative (eschatological myth) crop up, which interact with the context and become part of popular narratives; they become part of a miscellany of sub- jects that are thrown together in order to make sense of it all. In the weaving of meaningful patterns we also see ritual construction of meaning. Narratives make us perceive how lived religion takes shape and how ritual meaning is ascribed.
CHAPTER 6
C
ONCLUSIONM
USLIMS RITUALISING DEATH IN THEN
ETHERLANDS,
NEGOTIAT- ING DEATH RITES IN A SMALL TOWN CONTEXTThroughout this study we have been exploring various ritual repertoires used by Muslims dealing with death in a migration context. Spotlighting the pivotal rite of washing and shrouding the deceased, we were able to unravel and interpret the practice of death rites in a small town context in the Netherlands. The previ- ous five chapters showed how Muslims negotiate and appropriate their ritual repertoires in the migration situation. Each chapter focused on how a specific ritual repertoire is practised and shaped to fit the context.