The Haunting Logic of Overkill: Palestine, Iran, and the Specter of Settler Colonialism
“Is that you again? Didn’t I kill you? I said…you killed me…and I forgot, like you, to die.” These lines, from Mahmoud Darwish’s “In Jerusalem,” resonate with chilling relevance today, as cycles of violence continue to unfold in Palestine and now, increasingly, in Iran. The recent escalation of conflict, marked by targeted attacks on civilian infrastructure and the tragic loss of life, reveals a disturbing pattern: a logic of ‘overkill’ that paradoxically births a resilient ‘overlife’ in the face of annihilation.
The Necropolitical Calculus of the Israeli State
Analyst Nadera Shalhoub-Kevorkian’s work exposes what she terms the “racist, white supremacist, necropolitical ideology” underpinning the Israeli state. This ideology, she argues, reduces bodies – specifically Palestinian bodies – to disposable objects, demarcating a boundary between those deemed human and those relegated to non-existence. The deliberate targeting of civilian spaces in Gaza – schools, hospitals, homes – exemplifies this, mirroring the initial phase of attacks on Tehran where an elementary school was destroyed, leaving scores of young girls dead.
This isn’t simply about collateral damage; it’s about a systematic attempt to erase a people, to fragment their wholeness, and to deny their very right to exist. Yet, as Darwish’s poetry suggests, this attempt at erasure is met with a fierce refusal to be extinguished. The act of gathering the ashlaa’ – the fragments of bodies – becomes a powerful act of resistance, a “gestus of re-membering” that reaffirms Palestinian peoplehood.
Iran’s Response and the Shifting Global Order
The recent Iranian response to aggression from the US and Israel is gaining support, not just within Iran but across the region. This support stems from a perception of Iran standing up to a long history of Western intervention and a perceived double standard in international law. While the UN Human Rights Council has condemned the attacks, it simultaneously attempts to shift blame onto the Iranian government, citing concerns about gender-based discrimination. This attempt to justify violence through a selective focus on internal Iranian policies is seen by many as a cynical attempt to legitimize aggression.
The situation highlights a broader trend: the invocation of women’s rights as a pretext for intervention. This echoes the rhetoric used during the “War on Terror,” where liberation was framed as a justification for military action. However, as scholar Negar Mottahedeh points out, Western interpretations of Iranian feminism often fail to grasp the complexities of the Iranian context, overlooking the strategic alliances between men and women in the fight against imperialism.
Beyond the Binary: A Transnational Feminist Perspective
Iranian women’s increasing presence in higher education – now comprising roughly 70% of STEM graduates – challenges simplistic narratives about oppression and liberation. A truly transnational feminist perspective recognizes that Iranian women are embedded in a larger anti-imperial resistance, fighting for self-determination and against foreign interference. This resistance is not about adopting Western ideals of liberation but about forging a path that is rooted in Iranian history and culture.
The Iranian mother who, when asked about diapering her child amidst the chaos of bombing, responded by asking about the Palestinian children who have lived with this reality for years, embodies this spirit of solidarity and resilience. Her words encapsulate a feminism that prioritizes collective liberation over individual concerns, a feminism that recognizes the interconnectedness of struggles against oppression.
The Paradox of Overkill and Overlife
Darwish’s haunting lines capture the paradoxical condition of ‘overlife’ that emerges from the logic of ‘overkill.’ Despite relentless attempts at annihilation, the spirit of resistance endures, haunting the oppressor and refusing to be silenced. This is not merely survival; it’s a form of life beyond life, a spectral presence that challenges the very foundations of the settler colonial state.
FAQ
Q: What is ‘necropolitics’?
A: Necropolitics refers to the power to decide who lives and who dies, often used to describe how states control populations through violence and the threat of death.
Q: What is the significance of gathering body parts after an attack?
A: It’s a powerful act of resistance, a refusal to allow the victims to be erased and a reaffirmation of their humanity and collective identity.
Q: How does the article view Western feminism’s role in the conflict?
A: The article critiques a Western-centric view of feminism that often overlooks the complexities of local contexts and can be used to justify imperialist interventions.
Q: What is the central message of the article?
A: Despite facing immense violence and attempts at erasure, the spirit of resistance and the will to live endure, challenging the logic of oppression.
Did you recognize? Mahmoud Darwish similarly wrote the Palestinian Declaration of Independence in 1988.
Pro Tip: Understanding the historical context of settler colonialism is crucial for analyzing contemporary conflicts in Palestine and beyond.
The events unfolding in Palestine and Iran demand a critical re-evaluation of our understanding of violence, resistance, and liberation. It’s time to move beyond the faux feminism and imperialist narratives that have dominated the discourse for too long and embrace a truly transnational and intersectional approach to social justice.
What are your thoughts on the current situation? Share your perspective in the comments below.
