Simon Wolfgang Fuchs
@simonwfuchs.bsky.social
Associate Professor of Islam in South Asia and the Middle East at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem // Author of "In a Pure Muslim Land. Shi'ism between Pakistan and the Middle East" (UNC Press, 2019) // www.simonwolfgangfuchs.com
This "dangerous" event in East Jerusalem was shut down by the Israeli police before it could commence today. Even cultural expressions of Palestinian identity seem to be perceived as threatening these days...
November 23, 2025 at 4:23 PM
This "dangerous" event in East Jerusalem was shut down by the Israeli police before it could commence today. Even cultural expressions of Palestinian identity seem to be perceived as threatening these days...
The big question: will Hezbollah simply let this pass? Is the organization in a position at all too retaliate? Or is it still too weak? At any rate, this does not bode well at all. #Beirut
November 23, 2025 at 1:55 PM
The big question: will Hezbollah simply let this pass? Is the organization in a position at all too retaliate? Or is it still too weak? At any rate, this does not bode well at all. #Beirut
Another ordinary day in the region:
November 22, 2025 at 7:56 PM
Another ordinary day in the region:
November 20, 2025 at 7:02 AM
Today, Jerusalem experienced torrentuous, incessant rainfall. Water rushed down the slopes of the city everywhere. In Gaza, the lack of any actual efforts to provide people with proper shelter since the ceasefire went into effect became brutally evident.
November 15, 2025 at 7:48 PM
Today, Jerusalem experienced torrentuous, incessant rainfall. Water rushed down the slopes of the city everywhere. In Gaza, the lack of any actual efforts to provide people with proper shelter since the ceasefire went into effect became brutally evident.
This request by the Pakistani army to recruit from Aligarh Muslim University after Partition, as discussed in Laurence Gautier's "Between Nation and Community" (2024, p. 98), speaks to surprising attempts at cooperation and sharing of resources between India and Pakistan despite all the violence.
November 11, 2025 at 4:53 PM
This request by the Pakistani army to recruit from Aligarh Muslim University after Partition, as discussed in Laurence Gautier's "Between Nation and Community" (2024, p. 98), speaks to surprising attempts at cooperation and sharing of resources between India and Pakistan despite all the violence.
(4/5) foundation for continuity and growth.” While the exhibition contains pastoral scenes and settlement kitsch, what really disturbed me was one painting that you see here. “With Fire You Will Rebuild Jerusalem”. The painting shows Israelis soldiers walking through a completely ruined landscape
November 9, 2025 at 10:30 PM
(4/5) foundation for continuity and growth.” While the exhibition contains pastoral scenes and settlement kitsch, what really disturbed me was one painting that you see here. “With Fire You Will Rebuild Jerusalem”. The painting shows Israelis soldiers walking through a completely ruined landscape
Not a reassuring perspective by any means. See below also an image that I took in central Tel Aviv last week - the wounds of the last war are still there:
www.nytimes.com/2025/11/09/w...
www.nytimes.com/2025/11/09/w...
November 9, 2025 at 5:17 PM
Not a reassuring perspective by any means. See below also an image that I took in central Tel Aviv last week - the wounds of the last war are still there:
www.nytimes.com/2025/11/09/w...
www.nytimes.com/2025/11/09/w...
The announcement yesterday:
November 6, 2025 at 9:43 PM
The announcement yesterday:
Schöne, neue KI-Welt:
www.sueddeutsche.de/kultur/ki-in...
www.sueddeutsche.de/kultur/ki-in...
November 6, 2025 at 2:33 PM
Schöne, neue KI-Welt:
www.sueddeutsche.de/kultur/ki-in...
www.sueddeutsche.de/kultur/ki-in...
Afshon Ostovar, in his 2016 book "Vanguard of the Imam", writes about the logo of Iran's Revolutionary Guards (p. 129): "The “la” stands for the Muslim proclamation of faith “la ilaha ilallah …” (“There is no God but God …”)". This can't be right, no? I'm seeing Allah here...
November 2, 2025 at 11:40 AM
Afshon Ostovar, in his 2016 book "Vanguard of the Imam", writes about the logo of Iran's Revolutionary Guards (p. 129): "The “la” stands for the Muslim proclamation of faith “la ilaha ilallah …” (“There is no God but God …”)". This can't be right, no? I'm seeing Allah here...
(5/6) The outbreak of the First Intifada put a hold on the event with Yassir Arafat trying to restart it in 1995 after the establishment of the Palestinian Authority. Since then, land owned by the shrine has been appropriated for Israeli settlements (the shrine is located in an Area C in which
October 31, 2025 at 4:30 PM
(5/6) The outbreak of the First Intifada put a hold on the event with Yassir Arafat trying to restart it in 1995 after the establishment of the Palestinian Authority. Since then, land owned by the shrine has been appropriated for Israeli settlements (the shrine is located in an Area C in which
(4/6) Long banned under Jordanian control (since 1948) and the Israeli occupation (since 1967), the Jordan-administered religious endowment (known as “The Waqf”) tried to revive the festival in 1987, drawing 15.000 people, coming all the way from Jerusalem, the West Bank, and the Gaza Strip.
October 31, 2025 at 4:30 PM
(4/6) Long banned under Jordanian control (since 1948) and the Israeli occupation (since 1967), the Jordan-administered religious endowment (known as “The Waqf”) tried to revive the festival in 1987, drawing 15.000 people, coming all the way from Jerusalem, the West Bank, and the Gaza Strip.
(3/6) , the shrine became an important site of protest against the Balfour-Declaration of 1917 as well as the Zionist movement and saw internal Palestinian contestations (such as opposition to the increasing power of the Mufti Hajj Amin al-Husseini and his Supreme Muslim Council) during the 1930s.
October 31, 2025 at 4:30 PM
(3/6) , the shrine became an important site of protest against the Balfour-Declaration of 1917 as well as the Zionist movement and saw internal Palestinian contestations (such as opposition to the increasing power of the Mufti Hajj Amin al-Husseini and his Supreme Muslim Council) during the 1930s.
(2/6) orders from Nablus, Hebron, and elsewhere first gathered in Jerusalem under the auspices of Ottoman officials and leading families of the city. They presented the flag of the Prophet Moses to the Mufti of Jerusalem before descending the 20km toward the shrine on April 17 each year. In 1920,
October 31, 2025 at 4:30 PM
(2/6) orders from Nablus, Hebron, and elsewhere first gathered in Jerusalem under the auspices of Ottoman officials and leading families of the city. They presented the flag of the Prophet Moses to the Mufti of Jerusalem before descending the 20km toward the shrine on April 17 each year. In 1920,
(1/6) Finally, I had a chance to visit the shrine of al-Nabi Musa near Jericho. The complex, dating back to the Mamluks in the 13th century, has been an important local pilgrimage site. From the mid-nineteenth century, the annual festival became an important event for the whole of Palestine. Sufi
October 31, 2025 at 4:30 PM
(1/6) Finally, I had a chance to visit the shrine of al-Nabi Musa near Jericho. The complex, dating back to the Mamluks in the 13th century, has been an important local pilgrimage site. From the mid-nineteenth century, the annual festival became an important event for the whole of Palestine. Sufi
Heute ist Westjerusalem im Ausnahmezustand, da hunderttausende Anhänger verschiedener ultraorthodoxer Gruppierungen gegen die Festnahme von Wehrdienstverweigerern demonstrieren.
October 30, 2025 at 1:56 PM
Heute ist Westjerusalem im Ausnahmezustand, da hunderttausende Anhänger verschiedener ultraorthodoxer Gruppierungen gegen die Festnahme von Wehrdienstverweigerern demonstrieren.
Some additional images along the Wadi Qelt.
October 25, 2025 at 9:06 PM
Some additional images along the Wadi Qelt.
The beauty of hiking in #Palestine - from the outskirts of Jerusalem through Wadi Qelt all the way to Jericho, with the 5th century Monastery of Saint George of Choziba along the way.
October 25, 2025 at 9:06 PM
The beauty of hiking in #Palestine - from the outskirts of Jerusalem through Wadi Qelt all the way to Jericho, with the 5th century Monastery of Saint George of Choziba along the way.
Ebrahim Hajjaj of Reuters captures what it really means for Palestinians to "return" to their former homes in Gaza City.
October 17, 2025 at 7:28 PM
Ebrahim Hajjaj of Reuters captures what it really means for Palestinians to "return" to their former homes in Gaza City.
My conversation with German National Public Radio this morning:
October 14, 2025 at 10:44 AM
My conversation with German National Public Radio this morning:
Very reassuring:
"The war is over. It's over. Okay? You understand that?" Trump said.
"There are a lot of reasons why [the cease-fire] is going to hold, but people are tired of it. It's been centuries. People are going to behave. Everybody knows their place. It's gonna be great for everybody."
"The war is over. It's over. Okay? You understand that?" Trump said.
"There are a lot of reasons why [the cease-fire] is going to hold, but people are tired of it. It's been centuries. People are going to behave. Everybody knows their place. It's gonna be great for everybody."
October 12, 2025 at 10:11 PM
Very reassuring:
"The war is over. It's over. Okay? You understand that?" Trump said.
"There are a lot of reasons why [the cease-fire] is going to hold, but people are tired of it. It's been centuries. People are going to behave. Everybody knows their place. It's gonna be great for everybody."
"The war is over. It's over. Okay? You understand that?" Trump said.
"There are a lot of reasons why [the cease-fire] is going to hold, but people are tired of it. It's been centuries. People are going to behave. Everybody knows their place. It's gonna be great for everybody."
(1/2) It's always quite something if you read a book review in which the reviewer celebrates the scholarship of a colleague, demonstrating how this particular work has shaped one's thinking. A moving example is Francis Robinson's discussion of Rob Rozehnal's Islamic Sufism Unbound. Politics and
October 10, 2025 at 7:47 AM
(1/2) It's always quite something if you read a book review in which the reviewer celebrates the scholarship of a colleague, demonstrating how this particular work has shaped one's thinking. A moving example is Francis Robinson's discussion of Rob Rozehnal's Islamic Sufism Unbound. Politics and
This outline of the Israel-Hamas agreement on ending the war in Gaza, as published by the journalist Gili Cohen, demonstrates that we're a far cry from "eternal peace". For now, there is only the expectation that death and destruction will end.
October 10, 2025 at 4:41 AM
This outline of the Israel-Hamas agreement on ending the war in Gaza, as published by the journalist Gili Cohen, demonstrates that we're a far cry from "eternal peace". For now, there is only the expectation that death and destruction will end.
I talked to Bavarian Public Radio BR 2 this morning about the seemingly broad support for Trump's peace plan, its positive aspects - and where I see the major issues that can derail everything.
www.br.de/radio/live/b...
www.br.de/radio/live/b...
September 30, 2025 at 7:01 AM
I talked to Bavarian Public Radio BR 2 this morning about the seemingly broad support for Trump's peace plan, its positive aspects - and where I see the major issues that can derail everything.
www.br.de/radio/live/b...
www.br.de/radio/live/b...