Faculty Spotlight: Prof. Simon Wolfgang Fuchs
In a candid conversation, Simon Wolfgang Fuchs reveals some of the eye-opening experiences that have shaped his exploration of Islamic scholarly tradition in contemporary Muslim societies. With a blend of curiosity and scholarly rigor, Fuchs navigates the complex currents of history, culture, and politics to uncover hidden narratives and shed light on overlooked perspectives. Addressing some of the fundamental challenges facing the field of humanities, he highlights the impact of technological advancement on scholarly inquiry, prompting us to reconsider established narratives and approach investigation with a critical lens.
Written By: Keri Rosenbluh
Simon Fuchs’ initial encounter with Jerusalem was not born of a deep-seated passion for the region, but rather a circumstantial twist that led him to Israel as a young German citizen fulfilling his mandatory national service. When his plans to serve in an alluring location as remote as South America fell through, Fuchs cut his losses and boarded a plane for Israel instead. Little did he know then that his temporary assignment in the heart of the Middle East would sow the seeds of his future academic and career pursuits.
Arriving in Jerusalem in 2001 amidst the unfolding backdrop of the Second Intifada, Fuchs found himself grappling with the complexities of the region firsthand. Working with disabled adults in Jerusalem, he was thrust into a melting pot of diversity, where Jewish patients, Arab social workers, ultra-Orthodox young women completing national service, and international volunteers came together for the benefit of those in need. It was amidst this mosaic of narratives and identities that Fuchs’ curiosity in the intricacies of the Middle East was first sparked.
Due to heightened tensions in the region and the subsequent concerns of his family back home, Fuchs’ service was cut short, prompting his return to Germany in the spring of 2002. “This is where it all began,” reflects Fuchs. “Even then, I knew that I wasn’t finished with the region; I felt drawn to explore further.”
Fast forward 22 years to fall 2023, when Fuchs arrived in Jerusalem for the second time, accompanied by his wife and son, to assume a position in the Faculty of Humanities as Associate Professor of Islam in South Asia. “Academically, I’ve come full circle, and it feels good to be here.” Reflecting on the timing of his journey, Fuchs remarks on the curious coincidence between his arrivals to Jerusalem, both then and now, and the subsequent tumultuous events in the region. “I must admit, there’s a certain irony in the timing of my arrivals,” he quips.
Yet, beneath the lighthearted banter lies a deeper narrative of scholarly inquiry and intellectual curiosity, particularly regarding the transmission of ideas across West, Central, and South Asia, as well as Islamic political thought, transnational Shi’ism, and leftist movements in the Muslim world, among other areas. Fuchs’ academic trajectory has been characterized by a relentless pursuit of understanding, spanning continents and transcending disciplinary boundaries. His journey has led him to diverse countries such as Egypt, Pakistan, India, Iraq, Iran, Syria, Tunisia, and Lebanon.
During his doctoral studies in the United States, Fuchs was encouraged by his advisor to step beyond the familiar terrain of the Middle East and explore Islam’s less traditional frontiers in South Asia. Initially hesitant, he soon became captivated by the rich interplay between these seemingly self-contained regions. His research endeavors have since traversed the realms of Islam, unveiling the interconnectedness of these multifaceted landscapes.
Following his return to Germany, Fuchs encountered the challenge of reconciling his diversified expertise and research interests with the more traditional German academic approach where, as Fuchs puts it, “Islam in South Asia is a hard sell.” Strategically, he shifted his focus back to the Middle East, though he continued to nurture a deep-rooted interest in the narratives of both regions.
This led to his current research on the global history of the Iranian revolution and its reverberations across non-Shia settings after 1979. Venturing beyond the more conventional narratives of Lebanon and Iraq, Fuchs exposes the myriad voices and perspectives across the Middle East, South Asia, and Southeast Asia that were drawn to the seismic shifts unfolding in Iran. “While many later became disillusioned by what Iran had become, there was an early moment when people thought ‘wow, this is really something.’ It presented an alternative to the Cold War dichotomy, a third socio-political framework that seemed incredibly attractive. You could bring down a well-established authoritarian regime with abundant resources and potentially create something new,” he explains. His research aims to recover some of these marginalized narratives that have been overlooked, spanning various languages and cultures.
With his recent appointment to a professorship of Islam and South Asia, Fuchs is able to embrace the breadth of his research interests. “Teaching in both Asian Studies and Islamic Middle Eastern Studies is really wonderful,” shares Fuchs. “It’s what drew me to Hebrew University, and it’s a significant aspect of what makes this job so fulfilling.” This ideal academic space not only facilitates deeper research for Fuchs, but also underscores the importance of bridging cultural and geographical divides to cultivate a more nuanced understanding of complex historical phenomena.
In a recent publication that emerged from Fuchs’ last trip to Iran in 2019, he shares some of his discoveries while researching the operations of an office established in Iran in the early 1980s to forge connections with liberation movements worldwide. While exploring the archives of the national library, he stumbled upon a trove of classified documents in the library’s non-book section. These reports, authored by Iranian delegations dispatched in 1983 to various regions across sub-Saharan Africa, South Asia, Southeast Asia, and the Middle East, offered meticulously documented insights into Iran’s efforts to forge alliances and navigate the geopolitical landscape of the time.
Detailing logistical challenges, poor planning, and internal criticisms, these documents provide what Fuchs describes as “a rare glimpse into reports that were never meant for public consumption.” According to Fuchs, they not only challenge conventional narratives, but also offer a fresh perspective on Iran’s global outreach efforts. “They reveal the extent to which Iran was testing the waters at the time, trying to determine whether it still had friends out there.” Moreover, Fuchs refers to his discovery of these classified documents as a classic example of the “unexpected treasures that make our research so exhilarating.”
When discussing the challenges faced by the field of humanities, Fuchs points to the overwhelming availability of online resources as a double-edged sword. “While it may seem that all the information we need is readily available at our fingertips, if we’re not careful, the abundance can lead to skewed perspectives and a narrow understanding of complex issues. As academics, we must learn to strike a balance between leveraging these tools and preserving our scholarly rigor.”
Fuchs offers an insightful example from a course he taught last year, focusing on the occult and magic in Islam. While contemporary sources often condemn such practices as forbidden by Sharia law, they fail to address their prevalence in medieval Islamic societies, where occult beliefs were not only accepted but also integrated into daily life. The abundance of texts denouncing these practices in modern discourse obscures historical perspectives and distorts the facts. “The key,” says Fuchs, “lies in human guidance,” which he believes is essential for deciphering historical truths amidst today’s deluge of biased digital information. In essence, this approach underscores the enduring relevance of humanities education in critically analyzing and contextualizing historical narratives.
Yet alongside these challenges, Fuchs also acknowledges unprecedented opportunity. “The democratization of access to diverse perspectives through technology enables us to include voices and languages that were previously inaccessible.” In addition, he raises important questions. “Who is in a position of power to speak? And how do we include many more voices?” The imperative to include marginalized perspectives has become increasingly urgent and, according to Fuchs, “a failure to do so risks perpetuating existing hierarchies and dominance, and limits the richness of our scholarly discourse.”
In addressing broader societal and global challenges, Fuchs believes that his research serves a crucial role in humanizing the groups under study, particularly during times of conflict. “Take, for instance, my course on Afghanistan, where narratives could easily devolve into simplistic dichotomies of good versus evil. I try to untangle the complexities of human experiences within these groups. For example, while some may portray the conflict as a struggle between evil communists and righteous freedom fighters, a deeper examination reveals a more nuanced reality.” Fuchs explains that Soviet development aid, while often criticized, left a lasting impact on Afghanistan’s education and housing infrastructure, contrasting the transient nature of aid from other nations. Similarly, individuals labeled as radical Islamists or communist ideologues often have multifaceted backgrounds, with motivations ranging from religious fervor to opportunistic profiteering. “By highlighting these nuances, I hope to challenge commonly accepted narratives and encourage a deeper understanding of the human complexities behind conflicts.”
Through courses such as “Where Empires Come to Die,” and “The Muslim Sea,” Fuchs ignites curiosity among students, shedding light on captivating topics such as the Indian Ocean, the complex history of Afghanistan, the interplay of religion and state in Pakistan, and the digital evolution of Islam. By challenging students to engage with multifaceted narratives, Fuchs inspires a deeper, more critical approach to global dynamics, providing fresh, eye-opening perspectives that are a welcome contribution to the Faculty of Humanities and its students.
To learn more about Prof. Simon Wolfgang Fuchs, visit here.