British Scholar Frames Palestine as Symbol of Global Call for Justice

(MENAFN) British scholar Salman Sayyid from the University of Leeds frames Palestine as a symbol of a broader global demand for justice.

Addressing a news agency at the Reorienting Resistance event—part of the fourth Critical Muslim Studies conference held in Istanbul—Sayyid highlighted that the gathering brought together scholars and researchers from across the globe.

The conference aimed to critically reevaluate the knowledge surrounding Islam and Muslim communities in the context of today’s shifting global landscape, Sayyid explained.

He pointed out that the ongoing situation in Palestine lays bare the constraints on Muslim communities’ ability to impact both global affairs and their own governments. This lack of effective response raises profound questions about governance and reveals the failure of the liberal international system to uphold its promises to Muslims.

“If we cannot protect people suffering live on our TVs from the horrors, then the international order itself needs to be rethought in a way that Palestinian people are facing the last Western colonial settler state,” Sayyid said.

Sayyid further noted that the Palestinian resistance has struck a chord worldwide, evidenced by increasing solidarity such as Latin American nations severing diplomatic ties with Tel Aviv.

He underscored how the concept of resistance has been sidelined in Western media and academic discourse since the Cold War era, while the ideal of equal treatment under the liberal order has fallen short in addressing systemic injustices.

The conference’s diverse participation transcends nationalist viewpoints by uniting global scholars and activists, illustrating that many issues—and opportunities—are inherently global in nature.

Sayyid stressed the urgent need to foster transnational solidarity to build a fairer world.
Focusing on the event’s core theme—decolonization and emancipation—he described it as the paramount challenge confronting Muslim societies. Despite formal independence gained by many Islamic nations 50 to 70 years ago, true sovereignty remains elusive.

Linking the struggle to democratic governance, Sayyid argued that elections are meaningless if governments cannot independently make decisions.

He concluded by emphasizing that authentic popular will depends on governments capable of autonomous governance “rather than having to listen to external powers.”

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