A Violent Origin

Rene Girard’s theory of the scapegoat celebrates the Christian tradition where he considers that Jesus is the only victim to reveal his innocence. Jesus forgave the community for his mistreatment. Yet very little academic literature exists on how Girard’s scapegoating can be applied to Islam. This book, therefore, provides a new angle on Girard’s theory by applying it to the first Imam in Shi’ite Islam, Ali ibn Abu Talib. What is revealed is that Ali too is an innocent victim; one that is vocal of his innocence and like Jesus forgave his community for their treatment of him. The analysis sheds light on understanding Ali, as an individual, and his transformation from victim to divinity. This book will be useful to students of Religion and Girardian theory or anyone else who wants to understand Ali’s character.