Dr. Marchella “Chella” Ward, a scholar of Critical Ancient World Studies joins Adnan to discuss the meaning of “Intifada” in response to the French prosecution of Elias D’Imzalène for his use of the word in a Palestine solidarity protest. Dr. Ward’s expertise in philology—the historical study of the meaning of words— allows her to explore the historical range of the meaning and usage of “intifada” in anti-occupation and anticolonial contexts to dispute claims that it inherently carries a violent or antisemitic meaning. She discusses the politics of language under fascism and the importance of using the tools of precise analysis of language in the pro-Palestine solidarity movement and for liberation struggles generally. A fascinating and illuminating conversation with an erudite colleague—enjoy!

To learn more about the case of Elias D’Imzalène, see Rayan Freschi of CAGE’s post on ReOrient blog:

Follow Dr. Ward on her socials TikTok @luxmeatok Blu Sky @luxmea.bsky.social X: @LuxMea

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