From time to time, the Palestine Center distributes articles it believes will enhance understanding of the Palestinian political reality. The following article by Justin Salhani was published by ThinkProgress on October 10, 2016.
Up until quite recently, colonialism was not seen as a bad thing. For at least a few hundred years, colonialism was assumed to benefit native and indigenous peoples. Predominately European colonizers viewed other people as ‘uncivilized,’ and often rationalized colonialism with the idea that they were bestowing civilization upon savages.
It’s through this lens that Americans have celebrated Columbus Day since the 1930s. But with the realization that the Native American people may not have appreciated acts of genocide or ethnic cleansing, Columbus Day is now increasingly being shunned for Indigenous Peoples’ Day.
But the struggle of indigenous activists isn’t limited to the Americas. Much as the Native Americans view Columbus Day, the Palestinian people view the creation of the state of Israel, a day they commemorate on May 15 each year as youm al-Nakba, which means ‘day of catastrophe’ in Arabic.
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The views expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of The Jerusalem Fund.
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