Professional paper
The Neocolonial Present – Theory and practice in the Middle Eastern cases of Nakba (1948-2023) and 100 years of Kurdish revolution
Hana Barši Palmić
João Rochate da Palma
Abstract
Colonialism is primarily misunderstood as a historical artefact, scientifically placed into the past, never to be used again in the modern day. However, as a way of understanding the intertwining global cultural, political, and economic systems, it has exposed itself in this modern form, usually termed neocolonialism. The experience of decolonization and the sovereignty of nation-states gave postmodern society an illusion of living in the world system, where each state has the right to call for complete independence without the interference of hegemonic powers. As we delve into some aspects of neocolonialism, we will try to provide a theoretical overview of the cases of countries in the Middle East that still experience colonial structures today – whether through violence, economic resources and interference in the economy, political regime, or physical presentation of the ‘neo-colonizer’. For this paper, it is crucial to first go down the history lane of Middle East colonization processes and then analyze the political, cultural, and economic cases of neocolonial presence in specific areas, namely Palestine and regions inhabited by the Kurdish nation, which have been experiencing both political supremacy and violent repression as recently as 2023 and 2024.
Keywords
neocolonialism; Middle East; Palestine; Kurdistan; colonization; decolonization; Israel
Hrčak ID:
333892
URI
Publication date:
31.12.2024.
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