Opinion: The West’s denial of Palestinian history and humanity is enabling genocide
Drawing upon his years of research and the works of notable academics like Edward Said, Professor Ussama Makdisi argues that the erasure of Palestinian history and humanity is “enabling genocide” in Gaza.
Makdisi argues that by denying Palestinian history and, by extension, their humanity, has allowed the West to ignore the growing death toll in Gaza.
“The genocide of indigenous peoples across North America was premised on the devaluation of their lives and histories, before this was actualised by the US Army and its state militias’ guns, bayonets and cannons,” notes Makdisi.
“The massive Indian uprising against British colonialism in 1857, similarly, was depicted as an expression of the superstition and innate fanaticism of the 'Orientals' against British imperial civilisation.”
Makdisi adds: “To be the ‘victims of victims’ as Edward Said put it, makes the Palestinian anti-colonial struggle almost Sisyphean. Decontextualised and dehistoricised, Palestinian resistance against the Jewish state is seen, felt and sensed as a terrible reincarnation of a demonic antisemitic past.”
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