Canada as a settler colony on the question of Palestine: MEMO in conversation with Muhannad Ayyash

In this episode of a MEMO in Conversation, Nasim Ahmed speaks to Professor Muhannad Ayyash, co-editor of the thought-provoking book ‘Canada as a Settler Colony on the Question of Palestine’. Ayyash, who hails from Silwan in occupied East Jerusalem and now serves as a Professor of Sociology at Mount Royal University, brings his unique perspective to the discussion. Ayyash speaks about the origins of the book and the significant themes it explores, particularly how Canada’s own history of settler colonialism informs its foreign policy towards Palestine.

Throughout the episode, Ayyash sheds light on the parallels between Canada and Israel as settler-colonial states, examining how this relationship shapes Canada’s stance on Israel’s actions in Gaza. The discussion also addresses how settler colonialism contributes to the erasure of indigenous populations both in Canada and in Palestine, and the ideological manoeuvres employed by settler-colonial states to justify their ongoing violence and occupation.

Listeners will gain insight into how settler colonialism is not just a historical concept but a living, breathing framework that continues to shape global politics today.

Professor Ayyash migrated to Canada from Jerusalem. He is the author of ‘A Hermeneutics of Violence‘ and has recently finished writing another book, ‘Lordship and Liberation in Palestine-Israel‘. He has published several academic articles on topics such as political violence, vaccine apartheid, anti-Palestinian racism and Palestinian decolonial movements in journals such as the European Journal of International Relations, the European Journal of Social Theory, Distinktion, and Critical Sociology. He is also the author of multiple book chapters, and has written opinion pieces for Al Jazeera, the Baffler, Middle East Eye, Mondoweiss, and the Breach, among others.

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