The Case of Mohammed Abu Khdeir: Homonationalism, Liberalism, and Imperial Knowledge-Production
Format
Oral Presentation
Faculty Mentor Name
Jeffrey Hole
Faculty Mentor Department
English
Abstract/Artist Statement
In this paper, I discuss how the concept of Liberalism and Islam intersect to further the project of what Jasbir Puar calls "Homonationalism." The term "Homonationalism" speaks of the ways in which settler colonies such as the U.S. and Israel produce ideas about other cultures in order to mark themselves as progressive, modern, and morally/politically righteous while depicting the Muslims, particularly Palestinians, as backwards, barbaric, and corrupt. I will argue how contemporary queer discourses, both in the United States and Israel, contribute to the subjugation of Palestinians and the normalization of violence against Muslims. By focusing on "Islam and Sexuality" these discourses produce certain Orientalist assumptions about both Palestine and Islam. Although these discourses are often deemed "progressive" and "modern," I will highlight how these very conceptions of modernity create dangerous binaries between Palestinians and Israelis/Americans. In this paper, I will focus on the recent case of Mohammed Abu Khdeir’s murder at the hands of Israeli settlers, which was falsely reported as an "honor killing" by the Israeli media due to Abu Khdeir’s sexual orientation. This false accusation, and the depiction of Palestinians as irrational and backward people shows the precise nature of Liberalism and the Israeli/American anxieties about Islam and Palestine. While the focus of this paper is on Islam, Palestine, and Homonationalism it draws from a larger project on how various tenants of Liberalism are applied to Islam.
Location
DeRosa University Center, Room 211
Start Date
25-4-2015 10:00 AM
End Date
25-4-2015 12:00 PM
The Case of Mohammed Abu Khdeir: Homonationalism, Liberalism, and Imperial Knowledge-Production
DeRosa University Center, Room 211
In this paper, I discuss how the concept of Liberalism and Islam intersect to further the project of what Jasbir Puar calls "Homonationalism." The term "Homonationalism" speaks of the ways in which settler colonies such as the U.S. and Israel produce ideas about other cultures in order to mark themselves as progressive, modern, and morally/politically righteous while depicting the Muslims, particularly Palestinians, as backwards, barbaric, and corrupt. I will argue how contemporary queer discourses, both in the United States and Israel, contribute to the subjugation of Palestinians and the normalization of violence against Muslims. By focusing on "Islam and Sexuality" these discourses produce certain Orientalist assumptions about both Palestine and Islam. Although these discourses are often deemed "progressive" and "modern," I will highlight how these very conceptions of modernity create dangerous binaries between Palestinians and Israelis/Americans. In this paper, I will focus on the recent case of Mohammed Abu Khdeir’s murder at the hands of Israeli settlers, which was falsely reported as an "honor killing" by the Israeli media due to Abu Khdeir’s sexual orientation. This false accusation, and the depiction of Palestinians as irrational and backward people shows the precise nature of Liberalism and the Israeli/American anxieties about Islam and Palestine. While the focus of this paper is on Islam, Palestine, and Homonationalism it draws from a larger project on how various tenants of Liberalism are applied to Islam.