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The Riot That Foretold an Unstable Future
In his newest book, Joe Sacco worries about what political violence might lead to.
TL;DR
- Joe Sacco uses graphic novel format for his investigative journalism, blending reportage with oral histories.
- His work has covered events in Gaza, Chechnya, India, Iraq, and more, often depicting the human experience of conflict.
- *The Once and Future Riot* focuses on violence between Hindu Jats and Muslim villagers in Uttar Pradesh, India, in 2013.
- Sacco demonstrates how competing narratives and 'fictions' can overshadow factual accounts of events.
- Official and community accounts in Uttar Pradesh served to suppress evidence and assign blame.
- The book traces the riot's origins to inter-communal tensions, fueled by political ideologies like 'Love Jihad'.
- Sacco contrasts his detailed portrayal of individuals in *Safe Area Goražde* with the more abstract, systemic focus in *The Once and Future Riot*.
- He suggests that such mass assaults may become more common in democracies where nationalism and fabricated enemies are weaponized.
- The article notes Sacco's concern about how political chauvinists use historical injustices to justify current cruelty.