Mahmoud Khalil and Political Space

Defending All of Our Rights

Political space

People think in metaphors, and one of the key metaphors we might use when thinking about politics is to conceive of our rights and freedom as if they were a physical space, a giant field we need to defend from an encroaching army bent on suppressing us. The way we defend that space is by filling it, by showing up, by speaking out, by being present, by exercising our rights as if we had no fear of retribution. I know people are scared, and I’m not saying those fears aren’t realistic. But this is a moment that calls for courage as well as caution.

To defend our political space to dissent, it is vital that we defend Mahmoud Khalil and others who are targeted by the Trump administration. Khalil has been detained by ICE although he is a legal green card holder, married to an American citizen, and has not been accused of violating any law. His offense is simply speaking out against the Israeli genocide of Palestinians, being a visible face of the protests at Columbia.

Through these actions, the Trump Administration is it attempting not just to silence Khalil, but to place a chill on anyone expressing dissent. The best way to counter this is, as Timothy Snyder always says, not to obey in advance. That is, not to yield that political space voluntarily. If they want it, make them come and get it. We must raise the cost of these illegal persecutions, by responding, as people have been doing, with mass opposition.

No system, no matter how authoritarian, can actually afford to enforce all of its repressive decrees. Instead, it must convince people to police themselves.

Imagine, for example, if we needed to station a police officer at every red light to make sure people actually stopped. Traffic couldn't function. We don't need to do that because we voluntarily stop, not just because we fear getting a ticket if we don't, but because we understand that it's to everyone's benefit that we follow some common traffic rules.

But it is not to our benefit to suppress our own free speech and accept the unconstitutional actions F-Elon Trump is attempting to impose, aided by the collusion of the Republicans and, it must be said, some factions within the Zionist community who really should know better.

If one or two people speak out, they become targets. When thousands speak out, when the masses rise up and fill the space of protest and dissent, we become an unstoppable force.

And it is to everyone's benefit that we do so, because repression never stops with one group of people or one issue. Today, the target might be activists for justice for Palestine. Tomorrow, it may be defenders of women's right to choose, or non-evangelical Christians, or Jews. No one is safe in a world where any one person can be targeted. If they want to close our political space, make them fight for every inch.

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