Epistemic Violence Applied to the Graphic Communication of Religious-Cultural Memory

This article investigates the application of epistemic violence upon the graphic communication of religious-cultural memory, a phenomenon manifested in the destruction of books and libraries (libricide) and script devaluation. With periodic frequency, libricide and script devaluation have been administered to diminish or eradicate the externalized graphic memory (exogramic memory) of a rivalling tradition or ideology. The article attempts to highlight the vulnerability and manipulation of the externalized memory storage of knowledge through dominating, destructive forces implementing epistemic violence, consequently causing religious-cultural erosion, eradication and delegitimization. The theme has been examined from four perspectives of inquiry: (1) religious libricide, (2) religious script devaluation, (3) religious script concealment, and (4) digitalization countering libricide. This brief article on an unmistakably vast theme, focuses on letterforms and writing in the religious-cultural context drawing upon a selection of relevant historical and contemporary examples to demonstrate and typify the reoccurring, diverse phenomena of epistemic violence administered upon exogramic memory that has consequently and substantially contributed towards shaping religious-cultural evolution.