Borders, The Nation State and Palestine

The creation of the nation state is almost entirely an artificial construct. Creating a state that is moulded together into a single entity encouraged to share a national identity has not only been a violent process but one that was born from colonialism and one that continues to benefit colonial interests. If we look at any of the wars taking place across the globe in recent times, (Sudan, Yemen, Syria, Afghanistan and Iraq) all of them have to do with borders that were imposed on them by imperial powers. Iraq is an example of how the British carved out a country with their own interests in mind and no consideration for the people of the region. The three main ethnic groups, The Kurds, the Sunnis and the Shias, were divided in such a way that certain sects were given power over others therefore ensuring regional tensions and disharmony.

A History of Palestinian Resistance by Dr Daud Abdullah

I don’t remember the last time I wrote a book review on this book blog so I thought I’d do something novel and start the year with one! I read A History of Palestinian Resistance, by Dr Daud Abdullah, at the end of last year. I have to confess I’ve been struggling with reading since…

From the the river to the sea

Like so many of us, I have been deeply heartbroken watching the scenes from Gaza as the occupational forces bombard it with ariel, navel and ground attacks. Gaza is a densely populated strip with over 2 million residents, over half of whom are children (according to Save The Children) living on land that is 41…