The Concept of Genocide and the Destruction of Gaza
The Alwaleed Center for Muslim-Christian Understanding, in partnership with the Center for Contemporary Arab Studies, the African Studies Program, and Georgetown University Qatar, is hosting Dr. A. Dirk Moses, Anne and Bernard Spitzer Professor of Political Science at The City College of New York, for a talk titled “The Concept of Genocide and the Destruction of Gaza” on November 25th at Noon in the CCAS Boardroom.
Description
How has the concept of “genocide” evolved in the context of modern warfare, specifically with regards to Israel’s ongoing campaign in Gaza? While debates about the occurrence of genocide in Gaza are widespread, and largely center around assertion or denial, this talk takes a different approach. Instead of arguing for or against the claim of genocide, A. Dirk Moses explores why the term has become the ultimate legal and moral benchmark for victimized groups, from Palestinians to Ukrainians. Why is the term “genocide” invoked rather than “war crimes” or “crimes against humanity?” Through a historical lens, Dirk Moses, Anne and Bernard Spitzer Professor of Political Science at The City College of New York, will examine how the concept of genocide, defined in the mid-20th century, was shaped in ways that allow nations to conduct destructive wars against civilians without falling under the United Nations’ legal definitions. This event will also address the ongoing challenge international courts face: whether to adapt their legal frameworks to address modern warfare or continue to permit the destruction of civilian lives and environments under the guise of “military necessity.” He will discuss these points in addition to other critical questions about justice, warfare, and the evolving nature of international law.
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Speaker Bio
A. Dirk Moses is the Anne and Bernard Spitzer Professor of Political Science at the City College of New York (CUNY). Previously, he taught at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, the University of Sydney, and the European University Institute in Florence, Italy. He is the author of publications on genocide and international affairs, most recently The Problems of Genocide: Permanent Security and the Language of Transgression (2021). Anthologies include The Russian Invasion of Ukraine: Victims, Perpetrators, Justice and the Question of Genocide (2024) and Patriotic History and the (Re)Nationalization of Memory (2023). He edits the Journal of Genocide Research, where he is running a forum on Gaza. His public writings on Gaza and Ukraine have appeared in the Boston Review, Noema Magazine, and Lawfare.
Moderator Bio
Dr. Nader Hashemi is the Director of the Alwaleed Center for Muslim-Christian Understanding and an Associate Professor of Middle East and Islamic Politics at the Edmund A. Walsh School of Foreign Service at Georgetown University. He is the author of Islam, Secularism and Liberal Democracy: Toward a Democratic Theory for Muslim Societies (Oxford University Press, 2009) and co-editor of The People Reloaded: The Green Movement and the Struggle for Iran’s Future (Melville House, 2011), The Syria Dilemma (MIT Press, 2013), Sectarianization: Mapping the New Politics of the Middle East (Oxford University Press, 2017) and a four-volume study on Islam and Human Rights: Critical Concepts in Islamic Studies (Routledge, 2023). He is frequently interviewed by PBS, NPR, CNN, Al Jazeera, Pacifica Radio, Alternative Radio and the BBC and his writings have appeared in the New York Times, Newsweek, Wall Street Journal, The Nation, Al Jazeera Online, CNN.com among other media outlets.