Mohammad Dalla
Doctoral Fellow
Campus Am Neuen Palais
Am Neuen Palais 10
Building 1, Room 0.15
14469 Potsdam
Germany
Sprechzeiten
by appointment only
Dissertation Project
Defiant Identities: The Other under Scrutiny
Since the concept of identity politics was introduced into political discourse by the Combahee River Collective in 1978, it has long been highly contested. This research project sheds light on the workings of identity politics in a contemporary political context. By analyzing case studies of asylum claims on the basis of sexual orientation and gender identity (SOGI) in Germany, this research project offers a critical account of the role of this concept, or deviations of it to be more precise, has come to play in today's sexual politics. I use postcolonial theory as a theoretical framework to inspect how the discourse on queer asylum is incited and how it is connected to concepts like civilization and culture. I analyze how the identities of SOGI claimants are constructed within and perceived by the asylum system and the implications this process have both within and outside the asylum process. Moreover, this research project aims at exploring alternative forms of resistance to the political and epistemic interventions of the West that define and govern bodies, genders and sexualities, as well as alternative ways of showing solidarity with sexual and gender minorities outside of the Global North.
Biography
Mohammad Dalla is a researcher, moderator, and trainer of civic education. He holds a B.A. in English Language and Culture from the University of Damascus and an M.A. in Cultural Studies from the University of Potsdam. Since 2016, he has been engaged in several projects addressing “Special Vulnerable Groups” of refugees with different organizations such as the Foundation Social Pedagogical Institute Berlin (SPI), Lesbians and Gays Association (LSVD) Berlin-Brandenburg, Hiwarat e.V., and the Gunda-Werner-Institute of the Heinrich-Böll-Foundation. Between 2019-2020, Mohammad worked as research assistant in the team of the award-wining project “Critical Cultural Literacy Online” of the University of Potsdam. In 2019, he started working at the Federal Foundation Magnus Hirschfeld (BMH) as a student assistant. He then later worked as the assistant to the managing board and project funding management of the BMH between 2021-22.
Research Interests
- Cultural Studies
- American Studies
- Postcolonial Studies
- Gender Studies
- De-colonial Humanities
Publications
Dalla , Mohammad, et al. Auswirkungen Der Coronapandemie Auf Lesbische, Schwule, Bisexuelle, Trans*, Intergeschlechtliche, Queere Und Asexuelle Personen in Deutschland. Bundesstiftung Magnus Hirschfeld, 2021, mh-stiftung.de/ wp-content/uploads/BMH_BroschuereCoronaauswirkungenLSBTIQA_barrierefrei.pdf.
Dalla, Mohammad. “Queer and Here!” Heinrich-Böll-Stiftung, 12 Apr. 2019, gwi-boell.de/en/2019/04/12/queer-and-here-0.
Katbeh, Amer, et al. “Wie Könnte Die Politische Bildung Im Kontext Von Erwachsenenbildung Geflüchteter Männer in Gemeinschaftsunterkünften Funktionieren? .” Discover Diversity: Einblicke in Das Netzwerk Für Diversität in Der Politischen Bildung, KIgA e.V, Berlin, Deutschland, 2021, pp. 50–54.
Tschalaer, Mengia, et al. Policy Bristol , Bristol, UK, 2020, The Effects of COVID-19 on Queer Asylum Claimants in Germany, bristol.ac.uk/media-library/sites/policybristol/briefings-and-reports-pdfs/2020-briefings-and-reports-pdfs/Queer%20asylum%20and%20COVID_EN_FINAL.pdf
Awards
State Educational Award (Landeslehrpreis) 2020 for Project „Critical Cultural Literacy Online“ (Ministry of Science, Research and Culture - Brandenburg, Germany)