“In the end, we must all recognize that we are full of contradictions, colonizer and colonized alike. Even those of us who have a greater critical consciousness are tormented by the contradictions and compromises with which we must live. In the end, we all have considerable work to do.”
What does it mean to decolonize a world already dramatically and irreparably changed by earlier historical colonization? To answer this question, we must think “structure,” societal structure, and our present place within this social construct. Despite what some may emphatically believe, decolonization does not mean kicking non-indigenous out of the land. Nor, reversing the social classes of ‘privilege to no privilege’ one hundred and eighty degrees.
Decolonization means empowering the indigenous peoples of the earth, and making real livable space for all peoples within the land! This starts with hearing our voices, and opening up hearts and minds to what we have to say. Colonization is the denial of minorities their stories within the society, in favor of the socially privileged collective myths of innocence – and/or privileged victimhood, when these emotionally satiating myths are challenged on their historicity. The myths serve more than just to placate citizens sensitivities over their social status and ancestral history, but to sustain the “righteousness” mindset necessary for keeping society structured in this asymmetrical way.
Decolonization means rewriting the social contract in such a way that no minority group is disadvantaged for the benefit of the established majority. It is a process of deeply examining a nation’s laws and applications of law that structurally ensure the status quo of colonization in society, no matter how much and how many citizens resist this structure. The problem with addressing colonization is that the line of what determines supremacy is not stagnant. *Who* is considered part of the privileged class of citizens is fluid and keeps changing when needed to ensure that the present societal structure remains intact.
As Jews, we should know better than to outright accept this bargain when it is societally offered. It’s a bargain that makes us as guilty of colonization as those who have bestowed upon us the social privilege to be just like them. Not fully accepted, of course, but tolerated enough to keep those still colonized in-line and submitted to societal heirarchy. As Jews, an endangered minority ethnic group, we cannot afford to think “we”-ism at the utter exclusion of other minority groups. Others like us and, often, more worse off than us, who don’t get to live life thinking in the “I”-ism privilege of the majority ethnic/religious group that the societal structure was created for and meant to exclusively benefit.
So, what needs to be done? Especially, if our working within the existing societal structure brings no real lasting change? The very first step, I believe, to decolonizing is to stop using the colonizer’s language. Meaning, calling the spade a spade, rather than a spoon that all non-privileged should be introduced to and required to use for “their” benefit. Meaning, being vocally and unrelentingly honest.
In order to constructively engage in this radical social honesty, there is one far more important thing that we each need to do first: Listen! Actively seek out minority groups and listen to their “lived experience” stories. And, not be afraid to be made personally uncomfortable while listening! Discomfort is part of growing and healing, and this breaks the hold that society’s language has upon our words. What minorities need most is genuine allies among those who have a position of privilege within the present social order. Because, short of anarchy, only those with the privilege can motivate the need for society to fundamentally change its ways. Not by ad hoc legislation that gets mired down by politics, but by emphasizing the sanctity and value of minority lives and the need to demand social justice!
“While the chasm between powerful and wealthy colonizers (such as corporate heads and politicians) and the poor, working-classes, for example, is certainly great, this still does not alter the relationship between the colonizer and the colonized. … All colonizers, by continuing their occupation of another People’s homeland, remain colonizers, no matter their intent.
In the United States [and the Levant and Africa], nearly everyone has agreed to be a colonizer. From birth, they begin teaching their children myths regarding the righteousness of the existing social order. [“We are Arabs and Muslims, and this is our land! The indigenous is the outsider.” “We are Americans and Christians, and this is our land! The indigenous is the outsider.”] That message is reinforced throughout their lives. It is hard work maintaining such lies, so whenever the colonized [Kurds, ethnic Iranians, Jews, Dakota, Cheyenne, Cherokee, Hawaiians, etc.] threaten to disrupt their myth-making, they are quickly silenced, suppressed, and further subjugated.
In the end, we must all recognize that we are full of contradictions, colonizer and colonized alike. Even those of us who have a greater critical consciousness are tormented by the contradictions and compromises with which we must live. In the end, we all have considerable work to do. As Indigenous Peoples, for thousands of years we have been the first defenders of our homelands. We must resume that role. Those who presume to be our allies, must join us.”
– Professor Waziyatawin, Ph.D, Cornell University, Understanding Colonizer Status, [mine]
We will never achieve peace in this world by entertaining the fantasies of after the historic fact religions that are engaged in their appropriating interpretations. Coddling these beliefs, despite the demonstrable facts is self-abusing for a minority such as ours – all to keep appeased the self-righteous appropriating majority in the moment. Look how much we’re alike (even though we’re, honestly, radically different!).
How do I know this? 1,600 years later and 1,400 years later, Christians and Muslims are still trying to control the world and, especially, the land of Israel. Demonstrable history be damned, along with establishing peace! In this world, only Christianity and Islam can create this much needed peace, as the world colonizing supremacist governing powers on the land. But, to achieve this, both Christianity and Islam have got to stop fighting each other for ultimate supremacy over this planet, and *emphasize* respecting Indigenous Rights over theological rights and it’s inherent greed and need to appropriate.
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Perspective is everything! On this globe of the Middle East, where is Israel? Out of 456.11 million humans just within the Middle East:
244.13 million are Arabs – the overwhelming majority population of 12 nations (Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates, Egypt, Lebanon, Oman, Kuwait, Qatar, Bahrain, Iraq, Syria, Yemen, Jordan), a majority in half of Palestine (Gaza, West Bank), and are *also* a minority population within the Jewish nation-State, Israel
6.87 million are Jews – whose single nation is so small it doesn’t show on this globe, but is the most argued about nation upon the entire planet (because it’s a “Jewish” nation!)
36.4 million are Kurds – who don’t have a nation, because the Colonial powers, Arabs and Europeans, split their land into four Arab nations (same for the 382 thousand Assyrians that are still on ancestral land)
83.99 million are Persians – whose ME nation is Iran, that is presently ruled by an Islamic caliphate
84.34 million are Turks – whose ME nation is Turkey
Yet, somehow, the only nation singled out for world-wide divisive debate is the only nation comprised of refugees in the Middle East, Israel, who is so small in size and so few in number – you have to strain your eyes to actually see it! Don’t Arabs have enough land already? Can they not share with others *some* of the Middle East?
Why is Jewish sovereignty on just a portion of our ancestral land just too much for Arabs? Is it the same reason the indigenous Kurdish people – who are five times (5x) the number of Jews in population size – have no nation at all to their name – on their ancestral land?
Keep clearly in mind that there are over thirty-five times (35x) the number of Arabs in the Middle East, than there are Jews. What are Arabs so afraid of?! Arabs are the dominating ethnic group of 12 of the 15 nations that make up the Middle East, and their reach goes beyond this. Half of one nation is Jewish, one nation is Persian (but Islamic ruled), and the other is Turkish. Both the Persians and the Turkish outnumber Jews by over twelve times (12x), respectively. Why are Jews, the indigenous of Judea-Samaria, the number one target of hate throughout the entire Middle East (if *not* because it’s “the Jews” with self-sovereignty – oh, how dare they!!!)?
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Post Script, 26 October: An actual example of the *need* to decolonize as Jews!
To end antisemiticism, we have to: 1 – assert our historic *indigenous right* to dictate the future of our Zion (Jerusalem), and 2 – openly and publicly question *why* Christians and Muslims, converts to a religion only, feel societally the need to define us for us (as an ethno-religious people) and politically dictate our future.
When are we Jews going to learn that appeasement for security only works historically short-term and never generates *real* security? When was the last time we embraced and united with the 355 other million remaining indigenous peoples – still trying to survive Christian and Muslim colonization of the world, to turn it into their liking?
Example of this point – a Christian who laughed by emoji at this Jewish Hillel post about addressing antisemiticism. His Timeline post declares that Jews usurp Israelite identity to the rejection of Christians. Because, those not born into the people feel the need to *replace* the people, because that is what these pure religions do, full stop. And this will not change within Christianity and Islam, until we Jews demand that they stop(!).
In his post, seen here, is the idea that Christians (“Romans,” see snapshot) are actually Israelites and Jews are denying this notion. The only problem to this argument for Christians is that it is historically true that Jews are denying this!
You can sing the Canadian nation’s anthem all you want, speak their politics (as best you think that you understand) all you want, but this does not make you a Canadian. Jews have been preserving the ethno-religious way of life of our ancestors for 3,500 years now. We are a people with a religion.
Christians and Muslims are converts to religion *only*, an act of “faith,” that borrows from Judaism. Anybody can be Christian or Muslim just by declaring “faith,” but very few in this world get to call themselves Israeli. This is why antisemiticism still exists, a lack of radical public honesty to Colonizers! We Jews seriously do not have the numbers to make friends (talk how much we’re alike, when not) with the majority of Christians and Muslims, many of whom are presently being radicalized, again(!).
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