Unveiling the colonial violence of space in the Gaza genocide

Ajour, Ashjan (2025) Unveiling the colonial violence of space in the Gaza genocide. European Journal of Cultural Studies, 28 (5). pp. 1249-1263. ISSN 1367-5494

Preview

Text ajour-2025-unveiling-the-colonial-violence-of-space-in-the-gaza-genocide.pdf - Published Version Available under License Creative Commons Attribution Non-commercial. Download (185kB)

Abstract

This article addresses the ongoing genocidal war and extended blockade of Gaza that has been in effect since 2007, framing it as a manifestation of colonial violence against space and a collective punishment. I reflect on my positionality as a Palestinian UK-based scholar whose work focuses on captivity and resistance in Israeli prisons and the impact of colonization on my life and my family who are living under this genocidal war. Drawing from personal experience, I recount the forced displacement of my family from space, the destruction of our family home and the subsequent struggles of sheltering in the harsh conditions of tents amid the cold, lacking the essential necessities of dignified life, such as food and warmth. The narrative extends the broader dehumanization and dehistoricization of the Palestinian people enacted by the international colonial discourse embraced by Western liberal media, which works to justify the current genocide and mass killing of Palestinian civilians. This highlights the media’s blindness to the historical context, exposing the current war of Gaza as a continuation of the Zionist colonizer’s relentless effort since Nakba 1948 to eliminate Palestinian existence and erase them from the space. By shedding light on these critical issues, the article seeks to challenge prevailing narratives and reflect a more nuanced understanding of the Palestinian struggle for existence within the space they call homeland.

Item Type:	Article
Identification Number:	10.1177/13675494241310778
Dates:	Date Event 1 February 2025 Accepted 3 February 2025 Published Online
Uncontrolled Keywords:	Displacement, genocide, lived experience, open air prison, settler colonialism, violence of space,
Subjects:	CAH15 - social sciences > CAH15-01 - sociology, social policy and anthropology > CAH15-01-02 - sociology
Divisions:	Law and Social Sciences > Criminology and Sociology > Sociology
Depositing User:	Gemma Tonks
Date Deposited:	11 Mar 2026 14:34
Last Modified:	11 Mar 2026 14:34
URI:	https://www.open-access.bcu.ac.uk/id/eprint/16923

Actions (login required)

View Item