Expecting the best: Palestinian Utopianism and trans-sectarianism in the Mandate period

Eli Osheroff

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

Abstract

This essay reconstructs Palestinian utopian discourse from the British mandate period, by focusing on understudied political manifestos and fiction, authored by members of the Palestinian Arab elite. The essay shows that through the lens of utopianism emerges a distinct Palestinian ecumenical discourse on trans-sectarian religion, language unification, bi-nationalism, reform in relations between men and women, and social justice. While this discourse was not necessarily popular, it was shared and articulated in both explicit and latent manners by some of the most influential Palestinians of the period. This discourse was therefore a meaningful, progressive, indigenous political alternative to the colonial and imperial sectarian order.

Original languageEnglish
JournalBritish Journal of Middle Eastern Studies
DOIs
StateAccepted/In press - 1 Jan 2024
Externally publishedYes

Keywords

  • Utopianism
  • bi-Nationalism
  • esperanto
  • jamal al-Husseini
  • palestinian Intellectual History

ASJC Scopus subject areas

  • Geography, Planning and Development
  • History
  • Earth-Surface Processes

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