Two doctors with the UCLA’s psychiatry department have held a lecture in which they have gone against medical norms by suggesting self-immolation, the act of setting oneself on fire, should not be stigmatized, despite it usually killing the person involved.
Drs. Ragda Izar and Afaf Moustafa, both psychiatry residents at UCLA, held a discussion entitled ‘Depathologizing Resistance’ and saw the pair describe the disturbing and violent act as a form of ‘revolutionary suicide.’
The pair specifically referenced the case of Aaron Bushnell, a U.S. serviceman who set himself on fire in protest against U.S. support for Israel or as the doctors described the country, ‘indigenous Palestine.’
The duo argued that Bushnell’s actions, although stemming from mental distress, could also be seen as a rational response to what they described as Israel’s ‘genocide’ in Palestine.
The pair suggested that Bushnell could be considered a ‘martyr,’ and that he was a man in full control of his mental faculties who was responding rationally to the conflict some 6,000 miles away.
Dr. Ragda Izar, left, and Dr. Afaf Moustafa, both psychiatry residents at UCLA, argued the act of self-immolation to be a form of ‘revolutionary suicide’ – but such views are contrary to established medical norms that caution against promoting self-harm
Izar and Moustafa, questioned whether Bushnell’s distress made his actions any less valid, highlighting the emotional impact of witnessing violence and carnage in conflict zones such as Gaza.
‘Yes, he carried a lot of distress,’ Izar said in audio recordings of the talk. ‘But does that mean the actions he engaged in are any less valid? Isn’t it normal to be distressed when you’re seeing this level of carnage?’
But the pair’s twisted logic goes established medical standards and practices that caution against the glorifying or romanticizing self-harm – no matter the cause.
American Psychiatric Association and the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, both mental health bodies, strongly advise against bestowing honor or admiration on suicide victims, as it can potentially encourage others to engage in self-harm.
The views of Doctors Izar and Moustafa, who are both practicing psychiatrists suggest self-immolation is a reasonable response by someone wanting to protest.
Their extreme views have been attributed to the rise of so-called ‘activist doctors’ within medical organizations reports the Washington Free Beacon.
The UCLA speakers argue the stigma against self-immolation serves the interests of power structures and perpetuates colonialism, homophobia, and white supremacy.
They contend that psychiatry pathologizes legitimate acts of protest against societal injustices, framing them as signs of psychiatric dysfunction.
Such opinion goes directly against widely accepted guidance from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, which warns against glorifying suicide victims.
In Febaruary, Aaron Bushnell declared he would ‘no longer be complicit in genocide’ as he set himself alight and livestreamed the horrific scene. He later died from his burns
‘That guidance was certainly violated by the presenters,’ said psychologist Elliot Kaminetzky to the Free Beacon. ‘The stigma against self-immolation is one reason Western countries see so little of it. This is a good thing.
‘For mental health professionals to encourage removing the stigma is reckless and could lead to an increase in the number of individuals who protest in this tragic and horrifyingly painful fashion.’
Yale psychiatrist Sally Satel believed the talk was unlikely to set off copycats but felt the practice should not be destigmatized.
‘The more a culture venerates that kind of behavior as honorable the more we are likely to see additional examples,’ Satel said.
Hamas carried out a deadly terrorist attack in several locations across southern Israel on October 7, killing more than 1,200 people and taking over 200 hostages.
The attack led to an Israeli response that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu vowed would ‘echo for generations.’
Pro-Hamas statements have not been uncommon at colleges across the nation.
Some demonstrations have featured speakers openly praising Hamas for the attack with chants of ‘from the river to the sea,’ a frequently heard. The slogan calls for Israel to be wiped out.