Perfect Victims

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Perfect Victims

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=== Central claim ===
=== Central claim ===
In the book, he critically interrogates the strategy of emphasizing Palestinian victimhood in order to make the Palestinian cause palatable to a liberal audience that professes to care about human rights.{{Cite web |date=2026-01-18 |title=Rethinking Victimhood in Mohammed El-Kurd’s Perfect Victims: And the Politics of Appeal |url=https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20260118-rethinking-victimhood-in-mohammed-el-kurds-perfect-victims-and-the-politics-of-appeal/ |access-date=2026-02-12 |website=Middle East Monitor}}{{Cite web |last=Kattoura |first=Nicki |date=2025-02-12 |title=Looking the Palestinian in the Eye |url=https://lithub.com/looking-the-palestinian-in-the-eye/ |access-date=2026-02-12 |website=Literary Hub |language=en}}{{Cite web |date=2025-02-27 |title=Book Review: ‘Perfect Victims’ by Mohammed El-Kurd |url=https://arab.news/wady9 |access-date=2026-02-12 |website=Arab News |language=en}}{{Cite web |last=Nelson |first=Delaney |date=2025-02-18 |title=For Palestinians, the ‘Perfect Victim’ Is an Impossible Standard |url=https://progressive.org/api/content/1e503674-ed8f-11ef-ba8a-12163087a831/ |access-date=2026-02-13 |website=Progressive.org |language=en-us}} In a discussion of the book, El-Kurd said:
''I begin with “Even if.” Even if there were weapons hidden under al-Shifa Hospital, it should not be bombed. Even if Palestinian fighters hid among civilians, they still have the right to resist. Even if Palestinians harbored resentment towards Jews, they still should not be under occupation. Even if… even if… even if… There is nothing Palestinians could do that would justify Zionist colonialism. The goal is to shift the frame, to make it clear that Zionism is the problem, not Palestinian behavior.''
In the book, he critically interrogates the strategy of emphasizing Palestinian victimhood in order to make the Palestinian cause palatable to a liberal audience that professes to care about human rights.{{Cite web |date=2026-01-18 |title=Rethinking Victimhood in Mohammed El-Kurd’s Perfect Victims: And the Politics of Appeal |url=https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20260118-rethinking-victimhood-in-mohammed-el-kurds-perfect-victims-and-the-politics-of-appeal/ |access-date=2026-02-12 |website=Middle East Monitor}}{{Cite web |last=Kattoura |first=Nicki |date=2025-02-12 |title=Looking the Palestinian in the Eye |url=https://lithub.com/looking-the-palestinian-in-the-eye/ |access-date=2026-02-12 |website=Literary Hub |language=en}}{{Cite web |date=2025-02-27 |title=Book Review: ‘Perfect Victims’ by Mohammed El-Kurd |url=https://arab.news/wady9 |access-date=2026-02-12 |website=Arab News |language=en}}{{Cite web |last=Nelson |first=Delaney |date=2025-02-18 |title=For Palestinians, the ‘Perfect Victim’ Is an Impossible Standard |url=https://progressive.org/api/content/1e503674-ed8f-11ef-ba8a-12163087a831/ |access-date=2026-02-13 |website=Progressive.org |language=en-us}} In a discussion of the book, El-Kurd said:
''I begin with "Even if". Even if there were weapons hidden under al-Shifa Hospital, it should not be bombed. Even if Palestinian fighters hid among civilians, they still have the right to resist. Even if Palestinians harbored resentment towards Jews, they still should not be under occupation. Even if… even if… even if… There is nothing Palestinians could do that would justify Zionist colonialism. The goal is to shift the frame, to make it clear that Zionism is the problem, not Palestinian behavior.''


''The “Even if” argument is about refusing to play defense. It’s about refusing to answer to Zionist moral tests, refusing to plead our case in a way that conforms to colonial expectations. It’s a rejection of the performance Palestinians are forced into—the constant demand that we prove ourselves worthy of liberation.''{{Cite web |last=Omar |first=Abdaljawad |date=2025-02-10 |title=Palestine and politics of anti-appeal: an interview with Mohammed El-Kurd |url=https://mondoweiss.net/2025/02/palestine-and-politics-of-anti-appeal-an-interview-with-mohammed-el-kurd/ |access-date=2026-03-24 |website=Mondoweiss |language=en-US}}
''The "Even if" argument is about refusing to play defense. It’s about refusing to answer to Zionist moral tests, refusing to plead our case in a way that conforms to colonial expectations. It’s a rejection of the performance Palestinians are forced into—the constant demand that we prove ourselves worthy of liberation.''{{Cite web |last=Omar |first=Abdaljawad |date=2025-02-10 |title=Palestine and politics of anti-appeal: an interview with Mohammed El-Kurd |url=https://mondoweiss.net/2025/02/palestine-and-politics-of-anti-appeal-an-interview-with-mohammed-el-kurd/ |access-date=2026-03-24 |website=Mondoweiss |language=en-US}}


=== Contents ===
=== Contents ===
The book contains nine chapters and an epilogue:
author’s note(s)
The book contains nine chapters and an epilogue:
author's note(s)


one: the sniper’s hands are clean of blood: on dehumanization {{Cite book |last=El-Kurd |first=Mohammed |title=Perfect victims: and the politics of appeal |date=2025 |publisher=Haymarket Books |isbn=979-8-88890-315-5 |location=Chicago, Illinois}}
one: the sniper’s hands are clean of blood: on dehumanization {{Cite book |last=El-Kurd |first=Mohammed |title=Perfect victims: and the politics of appeal |date=2025 |publisher=Haymarket Books |isbn=979-8-88890-315-5 |location=Chicago, Illinois}}


two: the politics of defanging: on “humanization”
two: the politics of defanging: on "humanization"


three: shireen’s passport: on the invention of the civilian
three: shireen's passport: on the invention of the civilian


four: a life in cross-examination: on forbidden sentiments
four: a life in cross-examination: on forbidden sentiments
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eight: are we indeed all palestinians? on identity
eight: are we indeed all palestinians? on identity


nine: “do you want to throw israelis into the sea?” on irreverence
nine: "do you want to throw israelis into the sea?" on irreverence


epilogue: rain is coming
epilogue: rain is coming


== Reception ==
== Reception ==
According to [[Jackie Wang]] in ''[[Jewish Currents]]'', "By emphasizing victimhood as the condition for sympathy, he argues, this strategy grants the moral authority of those in power—those who preside over the world structured by colonial brutality—and requires Palestinians to maintain a posture of pitiable powerlessness."
According to [[Jackie Wang]] in ''[[Jewish Currents]]'', "By emphasizing victimhood as the condition for sympathy, he argues, this strategy grants the moral authority of those in power—those who preside over the world structured by colonial brutality—and requires Palestinians to maintain a posture of pitiable powerlessness".


''Perfect Victims'' is Mohammed el-Kurd's first [[non-fiction]] book. Historian [[Robin D. G. Kelley]] described it as "a new Discourse on Colonialism for the twenty-first century." It debuted at 9th on [[The New York Times Best Seller list|''The New York Times'' Best Seller]] for paperback nonfiction the week of March 2, 2025.{{Cite news |title=Paperback Nonfiction Books - Best Sellers - Books - March 2, 2025 - The New York Times |url=https://www.nytimes.com/books/best-sellers/2025/03/02/paperback-nonfiction/ |access-date=2026-02-12 |work=The New York Times |language=en-US |issn=0362-4331 |archive-date=2025-09-14 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250914212758/https://www.nytimes.com/books/best-sellers/2025/03/02/paperback-nonfiction/ |url-status=live }} It was also awarded the 2025 [[Palestine Book Award]].
''Perfect Victims'' is Mohammed el-Kurd's first [[non-fiction]] book. Historian [[Robin D. G. Kelley]] described it as "a new Discourse on Colonialism for the twenty-first century". It debuted at 9th on [[The New York Times Best Seller list|''The New York Times'' Best Seller]] for paperback nonfiction the week of March 2, 2025.{{Cite news |title=Paperback Nonfiction Books - Best Sellers - Books - March 2, 2025 - The New York Times |url=https://www.nytimes.com/books/best-sellers/2025/03/02/paperback-nonfiction/ |access-date=2026-02-12 |work=The New York Times |language=en-US |issn=0362-4331 |archive-date=2025-09-14 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250914212758/https://www.nytimes.com/books/best-sellers/2025/03/02/paperback-nonfiction/ |url-status=live }} It was also awarded the 2025 [[Palestine Book Award]].


[[Sim Kern]], a writer, activist, and prominent book reviewer on social media, noted that despite being a ''New York Times'' bestseller, el-Kurd's book ''Perfect Victims'' "hasn’t gotten any major newspaper reviews, any trade reviews," attributing it to "[[Palestine exception|active suppression]]."{{Cite web |last=Carnell |first=Henry |title="'Never again' means never again for anyone": An interview with Sim Kern |url=https://www.motherjones.com/politics/2025/07/sim-kern-genocide-bad-palestine-book/ |access-date=2026-03-23 |website=Mother Jones |language=en-US}}
[[Sim Kern]], a writer, activist, and prominent book reviewer on social media, noted that despite being a ''New York Times'' bestseller, el-Kurd's book ''Perfect Victims'' "hasn't gotten any major newspaper reviews, any trade reviews", attributing it to "[[Palestine exception|active suppression]]".{{Cite web |last=Carnell |first=Henry |title="'Never again' means never again for anyone": An interview with Sim Kern |url=https://www.motherjones.com/politics/2025/07/sim-kern-genocide-bad-palestine-book/ |access-date=2026-03-23 |website=Mother Jones |language=en-US}}


== References ==
== References ==
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