23 Aug Episode 07: BDS & the Moral Narratives of Colonization
In Episode 7 we explore how the media discusses the issue of BDS and the broader topic of Palestinian liberation.
What are the stakes? Who are the smear artists? What are the similarities with past apartheid boycotts? We discusses these topics and more using a 1989 pro-apartheid Christian Science Monitor op-ed as our guide.
NYT’s BDS Debate Excludes BDS Proponents
Adam Johnson | April 6, 2017 | FAIR
Defending Apartheid: Then in South Africa, Now in Palestine
Nima Shirazi | August 30, 2014 | Wide Asleep in America
On 50th Anniversary of Israeli Occupation, Palestinian Opinions Largely Ignored
Adam Johnson | June 7, 2017 | FAIR
Jeffrey Goldberg’s Anti-Boycott Bluster & Blunder
Nima Shirazi | December 19, 2010 | Wide Asleep in America
Scarlett’s Letter: SodaStream’s Global Apartheid Ambassador & the Enduring Effervescence of Ethnic Cleansing
Nima Shirazi | January 26, 2014 | Wide Asleep in America
The “Constructive Engagement” of Liberal Zionists
Nima Shirazi | April 15, 2013 | Wide Asleep in America
For even more background on the boycott movement, arguments for and against it, and a deeper dive into the colonial history of Zionism in Palestine, see here.
And here’s the pro-Apartheid article we discuss throughout this episode:
South Africa Shouldn’t Be Singled Out
Anne-Marie Kriek | October 12, 1989 | Christian Science Monitor
The Guest
Steven Salaita previously held the Edward W. Said Chair of American Studies at the American University of Beirut. Author of six previous books, he is a regular columnist for Electronic Intifada and a member of the Organizing Committee of the US Campaign for the Academic and Cultural Boycott of Israel (USACBI).
Books by our guest:
Uncivil Rites: Palestine and the Limits of Academic Freedom
Inter/Nationalism: Decolonizing Native America and Palestine
Holy Land in Transit: Colonialism and the Quest for Canaan
Who’s Talking?
These are the hosts of Citations Needed
Adam H. Johnson is a media analyst for Fairness and Accuracy in Reporting. His writing has been featured in The Los Angeles Times, The Nation, Alternet and elsewhere.
Nima Shirazi is an editor for Muftah, a digital foreign affairs magazine. His political analysishas appeared in Salon, Truthout, Mic, Fairness & Accuracy In Reporting and Al Jazeera English, among other outlets.