New Books in Middle Eastern Studies Hamid Dabashi, "After Savagery: Gaza, Genocide, and the Illusion of Western Civilization" (Haymarket, 2025)
Oct 15, 2025
Hamid Dabashi, a prominent scholar at Columbia University, dives into the moral and philosophical crisis facing the West in his thought-provoking book, *After Savagery*. He critiques the Eurocentric traditions of thought that often obscure histories of exclusion, linking Gaza’s devastation to broader patterns of violence and colonialism. Dabashi emphasizes the importance of art and literature in inspiring hope and renewal. He also advocates for a revision of universalism, urging a deeper understanding of Palestinian experiences and concepts.
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Gaza As Moral Ground Zero
- Gaza is ground zero for testing our moral imagination and rebuilding a universal ethic.
- Hamid Dabashi argues our shared humanity must be reconstructed starting from Gaza's rubble.
Expand Critical Theory's Horizon
- Critical Theory (Frankfurt School) has a Eurocentric blind spot regarding colonial violence.
- Dabashi calls for expanding its scope to include Fanon and colonial horrors alongside the Holocaust.
Historicize The Holocaust Universally
- The Holocaust must be historicized within global atrocities to deepen universal lessons.
- Dabashi urges transcending tribal claims without diminishing the Holocaust's significance.
