Prof. Dr. Sami Al Arian, Director of the Islamic World and Global Relations Application and Research Center at Istanbul Sabahattin Zaim University, and Salman Sayyid, Professor of Social Theory and Postcolonial Thought at the University of Leeds, assessed the Islamic world's struggle against colonialism.
Arian pointed out that although many countries have achieved independence from colonial powers since World War II, at least on a political level, Palestine is the only country that has faced direct occupation in the settler colonial context.
Arian pointed out that Palestine had become the center of colonization politics and a symbol of the consolidation of colonial projects, explaining that Zionism was a settler colonial project that sought to expand throughout the region beyond the Palestinian context.
Arian explained that Palestine has become a symbol of anti-colonial forces and decolonization projects around the world: “Palestine is the last attempt by Western powers to colonize, especially in the heart of the Arab and Muslim world, at the interface between Asia and Africa. It is a piece of land that is the heart of the Arab and Muslim world. This colonization process has become the most important decolonization project in the Global South.” he said.
Anti-terrorism rhetoric aims to marginalize resistance groups
Arian explained that the United States coined the phrase “fight against terrorism” and designated as “terrorist” the Islamic world, any structure that would oppose American hegemony, American colonialism or Israeli control, emphasizing that the word “terrorist” is used to isolate and marginalize those who oppose American colonialism.
Stating that these groups dedicated to fighting the Zionist occupation or the Zionist forces trying to impose their own hegemony in the region are definitely not terrorists, Arian said: “What the US rhetoric aims to do is to isolate these resistance groups while trying to eliminate them in the interests of American hegemony and control and Zionist hegemony and control.” he said.
Arian pointed out that most of the “fight against terrorism” rhetoric has not been adopted by the people of the region when looking at the historical record in Afghanistan, Iraq, Lebanon and Palestine, explaining that most of the victims of this discourse are Muslims and that those who rightly resisted the occupation in Palestine, Afghanistan, Iraq or other places are being targeted.
Liberation from colonialism requires collective efforts
Salman Sayyid explained that while we have the necessary resources and projects to get rid of colonialism, it is not enough that these elements exist alone, saying: “Just because you have the ingredients for a meal does not mean you have a meal. Someone has to cook it. It is not enough that the elements of decolonization exist; we have to bring them together to make a difference.” he said.
Stating that liberation from colonialism requires both leadership and a team, Sayyid said a way must be found to make joint efforts to have a better future.
Sayyid explained that when he conceptualized “Thinking through Islam” he did not mean methodology, but that by this conceptualization he actually meant the willingness to use the vocabulary common among Muslims.
Stating that the social sciences in the world have developed a deep hostility towards religions and especially Islam, Sayyid pointed out that in the context of social sciences it is about finding a path that gives way to Islam rather than Islam.
Stating that the concepts of West and East are historical and that beyond these concepts, a different history should be written for a future that includes Muslims, Sayyid continued as follows:
“I think the idea of the Western canon is not just about translating something and having an alternative nation. It's also about deconstructing the concept of what is Western. People often say that the way we do decolonization is to remember that Aristotle actually came from or grew up in what is now Turkey, right? that has always existed.
Bir yanıt yazın