Al Faruqi Memorial Lecture and Reception

Palestine from Columbus' Crusade to Herzl's Zionism and Settler Colonialism 

The talk will explore the historical trajectory of Palestine from the era of Columbus' voyages to find an alternative route to India for the purpose of retaking Jerusalem to the rise of Herzl's Zionism sponsored by Western expansionism and colonial divide and rule discourses in the region. It will frame the region's narrative within the broader context of settler colonialism rather than the misleading orientalist and reductionist lens presently at work. By examining the intersections of European early "exploration" of imperial ambitions and the emergence of Zionism, a colonially sponsored movement, the study highlights how supremacist ideologies shaped the modern history of Palestine. It critically analyzes the impact of early European exploration that was motivated by a Crusading epistemic and the subsequent 18th through 20th century political, economic, and theological shifts leading to the current Zionist movement and the unfolding genocide in Palestine.