Muslim/Christian Understanding (CMCU)

Margins are often considered sites of deficit due to their distance from the center. However, following bell hooks, this course reframes the margin as a site of knowledge, possibility, and relationality. We consider a range of Muslim groups who either agentically occupy the margins or have been pushed to the margins by way of exclusion. We ask conceptual questions about the relationship between margins and marginalization, about margins as a site of radical possibility, and about what we can learn from studying the lifeworlds, aesthetics, and thought of Muslims on the margins. The course will center the work of Shia, women, queer, and working-class Muslims.

Emotion is ubiquitous in political discourse – think: the angry protesters; the beloved nation; the humiliated man. It is used to cohere people together into proponents, opponents, activists, and advocates. This course examines the role of emotions (feelings and affects) in politics. Drawing on case studies largely from South Asia, it pays particular attention to how feelings of rage, disgust, dishonor, and love shape political action. We further notice how states too rely on intensifying or diminishing felt attachments to reiterate their power. The course thus unveils the affective domain of politics.

This course explores how religion and gender shape migration experiences and transnational communities. Focusing on Muslim diasporas, including Shia Ismailis, students examine how faith, devotional practices, and gendered roles influence movement, settlement, and community life across borders. Through case studies and ethnographic analysis, the course highlights how migrants negotiate power, identity, and ethics, revealing the ways religious and gendered frameworks both constrain and enable repair, social cohesion, and ethical engagement in an interconnected world.

Terrorism is not an Islamic phenomenon; the vast majority of Muslims condemn terrorism. But there is a great deal of terrorism committed in the name of Islam. The goal of this course is to understand what motivates both terrorists and mainstream Muslims, and the profound differences between them. We will examine the emergence of terrorist groups within their historical contexts, analyze their positions based on their own writings, and compare those positions with those of mainstream Muslims.

This seminar focuses on the importance of religious discourse and artistic expression in the study of global affairs. It looks at both as vehicles communicating social concerns, often with political implications and, in that sense, complementary. With a focus on civil society, the goal is to develop the ability to recognize the roots of conflict in specific contexts, prerequisite for effective conflict resolution. It includes the study of theories of religion and the arts, and their social roles; modernist theories that exclude religion and the arts from the study of politics; as well as theories about the constructed nature of social identities; and case studies of religious and artistic expressions of social concerns and evolving identities from the breakdown of European and Asian empires in the 19th century through the contemporary era. This course will be required for proposed new minor: Religion, the Arts and Global Affairs. It may also be used as an elective for CULP, IPOL, and RCST.

The 2026 U.S.–Israeli attack on Iran has precipitated a major global crisis while simultaneously marking a significant setback for American foreign policy. This is most clearly reflected in Iran’s effective control over the Strait of Hormuz. One of the central lessons of this conflict is the Trump administration’s profound misreading of Iranian politics, society and foreign policy. This one-credit course is designed to critically examine and address this analytical failure.

The structure of this course will be anchored in understanding the modern political and historical context that gave birth to the Islamic Republic of Iran in 1979. We will study Iran from within, based on its own historical experience, not from the perspective of the U.S. State Department. Key themes include: the nature and origins of Iran-U.S. tensions, Iran’s grand strategy (especially its nuclear program), the resiliency of authoritarianism in Iran, and the struggle for democracy.

The fall of regime of longtime Syrian dictator Bashar al-Assad in December 2024 has left the world with countless questions. In particular, the Islamist orientation of the coalition that took down Assad, the Hay’at Tahrir al-Sham, has led many analysts to probe whether an Islamist group can successfully transition Syria to proper stable governance. But questions like these can only be dealt with superficially unless one properly investigates the role of religion in Syrian politics and society. This course seeks to offer the necessary corrective, by offering a primer on the role of religion in Syrian society from the 20th century to the present. It will briefly touch on antecedents from the late Ottoman period (19th century), but our focus will primarily be on the French colonial period, the formation of the Syrian Arab republic, and the eventual rise of Ba’athist Syria. While Islam will be the primary religious tradition under consideration, a course of this magnitude would be incomplete without addressing Syrian minority religious traditions and their role in political life. Accordingly, we will have several modules addressing the role of the Alawite faith in Syrian politics.

In a post-9/11 age of ISIS and Boko Haram, suicide bombers and 'lone wolves', it is difficult to switch on the television or pick up a newspaper and avoid intense discussions or debates centered around terrorism, Islam and Muslims. So, how does the media shape and influence our attitudes towards these subjects? Why do so many Muslims in the West believe they are the victims of media bias? Are there double standards in the coverage of Muslim vs non-Muslim 'terrorists'? And how big a role does Hollywood and the entertainment industry play in perpetuating stereotypes of the 'angry Arab'?

This course will critically examine the mainstream media's depiction of individual Muslims as inherently violent and terror-prone and of Muslim communities as monoliths, intrinsically opposed to 'Western values'. The goal of the course is to identify and understand media biases and double standards in relation to Islam and Muslims, using both the dominant theoretical perspectives in media studies, such as framing, and high-profile, real-world case studies from television, print and online.

The October 7, 2023, attack on Israel by Hamas and the subsequent war in Gaza has morphed into a global crisis. The Israel-Palestine conflict is again at the top of the international agenda with the focus on Gaza. American foreign policy has been deeply shaken by these events and the outcome of the 2023 US Presidential election could be shaped by these events. The past, current, and future status of this tiny coastal enclave along the Mediterranean Sea has generated massive global media attention, controversy and intense public and policy debate. Unfortunately, this new focus on Gaza has not been matched by an objective understanding of the history, politics and ethical challenges that flow from the events of October 7. This is the core objective of this course. In other words, the goal is to introduce students to the relevant historical, political, and moral context of the humanitarian crisis in Gaza with the aim of illuminating the controversy that surrounds this topic. This will be a jointly taught lecture course by Georgetown faculty. It will also include a series of guest speakers. Students on both the main campus and the Qatar campus are eligible to enroll. No prerequisites are required. Students will be evaluated based on attendance/participation, a short critical paper, a final exam, and a final interview.

Course Title: The Global Divide over Israel and Palestine The Israel-Gaza War is a transformative moment in global politics. It has produced heated debate and political commentary that recalls other watershed moments in international affairs, such as the end of the Cold War, 9/11 and the subsequent US invasion of Iraq, and the Russian invasion of Ukraine. Why does the Israel-Palestine conflict continue to generate intense polarization, bitterness, and acrimony on a global scale? This is the core question that will inform this course. Within Western societies, the Hamas attack on Israel on October 7, 2023, and the subsequent Israeli assault on Gaza, have produced deep divisions in universities, medical and law schools, newsrooms, in Hollywood, among intellectuals, in the Democratic Party, and within the American Jewish community. The future of the 2024 American presidential election could be shaped by President Biden’s response to this conflict. Internationally, a chasm has emerged between the West and the global south over this issue as reflected in UN General Assembly and Security Council votes and the January 2024 International Court of Justice ruling on the question of genocide in Gaza. How can we objectively understand this ongoing global divide over the Israel/Palestine Conflict? Can this chasm be bridged, and to what extent is American Middle East Policy a factor in perpetuating this conflict? These are some of the questions that we will examine. The analytical framework for this course draws upon history, comparative politics, and international relations. No prerequisites are required but it is strongly encouraged that students have some background in Middle East politics, the Israel-Palestine conflict, or international affairs. At least one previous course in any of these subjects is preferred. Please note that this is not a course on the history or politics of the Israel-Palestine conflict. Our focus is on the global resonance of this dispute and why it seems to be a marker of identity for disparate groups of people and governments within the West, the Arab-Islamic world and in parts of the global south. This is a seminar course that is capped at 20 students. Students will be evaluated based on a seminar presentations, a term paper and a final interview with the instructor.

Many Americans cherish the American dream “that all men are created equal”. But what is it like to be a Muslim in America? Since September 11, 2001, Muslim Americans have faced renewed challenges, with their loyalty to their country and their sense of belonging being questioned. With the emergence of the global jihadist movement the radicalization of some American Muslims, and some one-sided media coverage and political rhetoric, Islam and Muslims in America have remained a misunderstood religion and people. This seminar course seeks to understand Islam, its origin and philosophy, and the spread of Islam in America from a historical perspective. It explores some concepts associated with Islam and Muslims in general. It also situates Muslim Americans in the broader local, national, and global context. It looks into the concept of identity and belonging of young American Muslims. It discusses diversity, differences among American Muslims, and relationships between Muslim Americans and the wider society. It also discusses national security issues and their impact on Muslim Americans. Finally, it discusses ways to build a cohesive American society.

Saudi Arabia stands at a crossroads, balancing its traditional tribal structure, the influence of its ruling family, its immense wealth from oil reserves, its religious significance as the home of Islam's two holiest sites, and its strategic alliance with the United States. This course explores Saudi Arabia's unique characteristics and how they impact the country's political landscape, particularly regarding the development of democracy. Students will analyze why Saudi Arabia's political system differs from other Arab countries' political regimes that were impacted by the democratization wave during the Arab Spring period, which led Saudi Arabia to survive the wave. The course will examine the challenges and prospect

The seminar will examine the transformation of the Eastern churches into Arab-Christians in modern history, their participation in the formation of the nation state, their current decline and the renewed call for their protection. It will provide a brief survey of the early developments of Christian controversies, the encounter with Islam, with European hegemony and Pax Americana post WWII. It will examine the prospects for the survival of Christianity in the Arab world in light of rise of Islamic fundamentalism and Christian emigration to the West. It will introduce students to historical writings on particular periods. The course emphasizes discussion and engagement with assigned readings. Students are expected to engage in original research and articulate conclusions both orally and in writing.

Muslim women often appear in Western imagination as oppressed, silent, and victimized. This course offers an alternate account of Muslim women by centering texts and aesthetics produced by them, along with ethnographic studies that give us a glimpse into their lives in the West. We encounter Muslim women through non-normative frames of agency, joy, community-building, and care. We observe the myriad ways in which they construct preferred futures against racist, capitalist, and heteronormative logics. A major thrust of the course is studying the lifeworlds of Shia Muslim women (a minority interpretive community within Islam).

The Israel-Gaza War is a transformative moment in global politics. It has produced heated debate and political commentary that recalls other watershed moments in international affairs, such as the end of the Cold War, 9/11 and the subsequent US invasion of Iraq, and the Russian invasion of Ukraine. Why does the Israel-Palestine conflict continue to generate intense polarization, bitterness, and acrimony on a global scale? This is the core question that will inform this course. Within Western societies, the Hamas attack on Israel on October 7, 2023, and the subsequent Israeli assault on Gaza, have produced deep divisions in universities, medical and law schools, newsrooms, in Hollywood, among intellectuals, in the Democratic Party, and within the American Jewish community. Internationally, a chasm has emerged between the West and the global south over this issue as reflected in UN General Assembly and Security Council votes and the January 2024 International Court of Justice ruling on the question of genocide in Gaza. How can we objectively understand this ongoing global divide over the Israel/Palestine Conflict? What are its historical roots, how is it politically perpetuated and can this chasm be bridged? These are some of the questions that we will examine. The analytical framework for this course draws upon history, comparative politics, and international relations. No prerequisites are required but it is strongly encouraged that students have some background in international relations or global history. At least one previous course in either of these subjects is preferred but not required. Please note that is not a course on the history or politics of the Israel-Palestine conflict. Our focus is on the global resonance of this dispute and why it seems to be a marker of identity for disparate groups of people and governments within the West, the Arab-Islamic world and in parts of the global south. This is a seminar course that is capped at 20 students. Students will be evaluated based on a seminar presentation, a term paper and a final interview with the instructor. MA students who take this course will be assigned an additional assignment (TBD).

Saudi Arabia stands at a crossroads, balancing its traditional tribal structure, the influence of its ruling family, its immense wealth from oil reserves, its religious significance as the home of Islam's two holiest sites, and its strategic alliance with the United States. This course explores Saudi Arabia's unique characteristics and how they impact the country's political landscape, particularly regarding the development of democracy. Students will analyze why Saudi Arabia's political system differs from other Arab countries' political regimes that were impacted by the democratization wave during the Arab Spring period, which led Saudi Arabia to survive the wave. The course will examine the challenges and prospects for democratic reform in the country.

U.S. relations with the Muslim world have been pivotal to its development from the dawn of the republic and central to both American and Muslim nations’ emergence in the 20th and 21st century as global powers. It has been marked by highly significant security and trade relationships and marred by serious obstacles and challenges related to freedoms, human rights, poverty, dignity, and extremism. While security issues have always dominated the relationships, the U.S. has also intermittently focused on political and social progress, economic development and trade, educational and cultural exchange, climate change and environmental stewardship, and peacemaking and human security. While U.S. political forces and public opinion have been increasingly negative towards Muslims since 9/11, most American leaders and citizens also realize the importance of national and personal relationships with Muslim Americans and with the fifty Muslim majority and Muslim plurality countries around the world—representing a quarter of humanity—and understand that this must trump their fear and perception of Muslim threats. The tension between the positive use of America’s power and its desire to engage with the world and influence it for the good and the negative use of its power and its impulse to securitize its relationships and retreat behind a vision of Fortress America is one of the main questions posited by this course.

This course will offer a social and intellectual history of Sufism in all its major aspects. We will begin with a survey of Sufism's formative period from the 9th to 12th centuries CE, examining the emergence of key Sufi doctrines and practices as well as the formation of the first Sufi communities around accomplished masters. We will then trace the rise to social prominence of the Sufi mode of piety during and after the 12th century in the form of Sufi orders as well as the reaction of nonconformist Sufis to such increasing social success. Along the way, we will also consider such related issues as conversion to Islam, Islamization of originally non-Islamic beliefs and practices, and the relationship between popular religiosity and Sufism. We will also go into multiple geographical contexts, from the medieval Maghrib to South Asia, Time permitting, we will end with readings on contemporary Sufism, politics, and society.

The course aims to provide an Asian response to the debate over the rise of ethno-nationalism, majoritarinism, and minority rights, serving as a corrective to current scholarships, which are guided by a Eurocentric approach. The case of India sheds light on specific reasons behind the decay of democracies around the world. Moreover, the course will investigate how and why ethno-religious majorities have been weaponizing their discourse against minorities, whether the Hindutva bears the features of an “exclusionary” ideology and why they have perceived them as a threat. How is democracy dealing with this? Does it address or exacerbate the tensions with ethno-nationalism?

TBA

The Muslim view is that the origins of Islamic legal code are rooted in the Muslim holy text (the Quran) and Sunnah (the portion of Muslim law based on the prophet Mohammed’s words or acts), and it is this jurisprudence that gives Islamic religious practice its connection and sustainability in everything including health law and policy. This seminar provides an overview of where Islam as a rule of law and global health intersect through subject specific segments. The seminar will start by exploring Islamic law and the history of healthcare under Islamic law and move into segments that discuss food hygiene jurisprudence, prophetic medicine as Sunnah, bioethics and Islam, mental health and Islamic law, migrant health and Islamic law, and finally sexual, reproductive and human rights under Islamic law. It presupposes the Quran and Sunnah as the legal documents and where relevant, the seminar will discuss comparative aspects to western perspectives. This seminar supports the notion that global health law is part of a growing health diplomacy where it becomes vital to understand key aspects of how culture and religion can influence health, policy and the law locally and globally.

Whether involving the headscarf or kidnapped schoolgirls, discourse over Islam and Muslims is very often tied to questions of the treatment of women and women’s rights. It is thus also a discourse about power. In part, this is because any discussion of ‘Islam and women’ is politicized in the context of globalization and the tensions between perceptions of the globalization of Western norms on the one hand and perceptions of cultural authenticity on the other. In part, this inevitable political dimension exists because gender and sexuality in human society have always been categories and terms developed and wielded in the context of power, whether concerning the distribution of resources, rights to autonomy and movement, or power to define a community’s identity and history.

This course will explore the intersection of power and sexuality in the Islamic tradition, examining case studies in law, literature, society and politics from the early Islamic period to the present day.

Islam has been in the news. And slavery has been in the news. And 'Islam & slavery' has been in the news. These are some major understatements. When ISIS achieved prominence in 2014, Western audiences were stunned by the movement's revival of enslaving prisoners of war. Many, Muslims and non-Muslims alike, were shocked at ISIS' justification of slavery with reference to Islam's scriptures and laws. But the debate over Islam & slavery is much older, going back centuries. It forms part of the global history of the phenomenon called slavery, a phenomenon that is as controversial at the level of academic study as it has been in its real-world manifestations. This course will examine efforts of philosophers and scholars to describe, justify or criticize a spectrum of phenomena we call slavery. It will place the Islamic tradition within this setting, charting the history, laws and practices of slavery in Islamic civilization, following it all the way up to debates over abolition and the efforts of some to revive and defend slavery today.

Arab pro-democracy uprisings (the Arab Spring) that toppled autocratic regimes, the collapse of state authority challenges of governance, counter-revolutions, and the role of militant extremist groups like Al Qaeda and ISIS raise questions about the future of political Islam and democracy. We will focus on the phenomenon of political Islam in the Middle East with some reference to Pakistan and Indonesia, examining the causes, implications, and consequences for the future of Islam in politics.

The course is divided into four parts: analysis of the Islamic order and the model(s) that inspire modern Islamist activists, the ideas of the main ideologues of contemporary Islamic movements; approaches to the understanding of contemporary political Islam and the Islamic movements; and case studies of movements in different contexts. It also probes the relationship between Islamism and the “Arab Spring” as well as global terrorism. Finally, the course will conclude with a critical analysis of the future of political Islam, democracy, global terrorism, and US-Muslim world relations.

This is a multi-disciplinary course examining diverse aspects of Islamic intellectual history in the 20th and 21st centuries. We will begin with an introduction to Islam, a survey of the history of Islam in South Asia, and an overview of colonial history in South Asia. The bulk of the coursework will focus on the works of specific South Asian Muslim thinkers and their social and political impact. Our methodology will be historical and comparative, focusing on the historical contexts that give rise ideological shifts. Our goal is to understand the diversity of expressions of Islam in South Asia, and the impact of specific sociopolitical developments on those expressions.

This course will introduce students to the Qur’an (Koran), the holy scripture of Islam. We will examine its thematic development, literary style, and its relationship to pre-qur’anic, especially biblical traditions. Special attention is given to various methods Muslims have used to interpret the Qur’an, particularly in light of the challenges of modern science and moral norms.

Muslims believe that they form a single community united by their faith without any consideration for differences of race and ethnicity. In theory, this should have led Muslims to form a single political entity and to desist from conflict among themselves. The reality , however, has been different as divisions have appeared among Muslims as early as the immediate aftermath of the prophet's death. Muslim history has also been marked by rivalries and conflicts involving different Muslim empires and dynasties and later modern Muslim state. Muslim relations even today is marked more by conflict than cooperation. Yet, the idea of Muslims as a single community, and hence the necessity of cooperation and even unity among them has not disappeared. This situation has given Muslim relations a contradictory quality characterized by both conflict and cooperation. This course will examine the factors which have led to divisions within Muslims as well as the forces which have contributed to more cooperative relations among them and the formation of intra-Muslim institutions, notably the Organization of the Islamic Conference, Islamic Development bank and others.

There are few topics as controversial globally and in the United States as poorly understood as ‘The Shariah’. This course will explore the actual nature and history of the Shariah tradition, with a special focus on how it is understood and implemented today. It will also investigate the resonance of the Shariah amongst many Muslim populations.

This module examines Islam as it is experienced and disseminated through various forms of institutions, scholarly currents, movements, the media and sites across Southeast Asia. Students are exposed to the defining factors and forces that shape Muslim life in the region in the context of modernity, globalization and secularization. The major topics that will be examined include the roles of the ulama (religious scholars), the place of women in society, Muslim-non-muslim relations, Islamic popular culture and the nexus between traditionalism and reformism, among others. The module also seeks to deepen perspectives on Islam in Southeast Asia through the employment of theoretical tools such as those derived from anthropology, sociology of religion, religious studies and historical sociology.

The seminar will provide an overview of the teachings of Islam and the development of Muslim legal opinion on the role of religious minorities under Muslim jurisdiction. It will focus on the role of minorities in the modern nation-state and provide an overview of the development of the concept of “citizenship” and “minority” and the role of the colonial powers in empowering political, ethnic, and religious groups (Alawis, Christians, Druze, Isma`ili, Jews, Kurds, Sunni, Shi`i, Turkmen, Yezidis, etc). It will examine their status as defined in the various national constitutions as well as the teachings of twentieth-century Muslims on freedom of religion, pluralism, and treatment of minorities within the context of the development of the homogenizing Arab national narrative as well as the Islamic counter-narrative.

This course introduces the history and thought of Shia Islam and Christian-Muslim theological encounters, with particular attention to Shia-Catholic dialogue. The first section will explore diverse expressions of Shia thought in Iraq, Iran, Bahrain, Azerbaijan, and Yemen. In addition to Shi’ite perspectives, we will explore Sunni and Western perspectives. In the second section, we will learn about fostering positive relationships across religious boundaries, looking at specific contemporary Shia-Catholic dialogue initiatives. We will also study the visits by Pope Francis to the Muslim world, including his recent meetings with Ayatollah Sistani and Ahmad al-Tayyib. In the third section, students will join in real Shia-Catholic dialogues. Each dialogue will feature a Catholic leader and a Shia scholar from a Shia-majority country to learn about their points of disagreement and also opportunities for bridge-building. This course requires no prerequisites and no language other than English. You will receive a glossary of Arabic and Persian terms. Each session begins with a lecture. We will then read through primary sources together. Some sessions will involve student-facilitated discussion.

After its arrival to Southeast Asia, Islam not only acculturated to, but also synthesized and added to the indigenous cultures and belief. The tasks were assumed by merchants, preachers, teachers and sufi masters. After more than eight hundred years, Southeast Asian Islam manifests coexistence and continuity between tradition and modernity. This course will survey the different religious, political, economic, social, and educational and judiciary institutions of Southeast Asian Muslim societies. It will examine how these various institutions were created to serve the needs of the changing realities of the Muslim societies in the region.

This seminar examines the American Muslim experience through a post-9/11 civil liberties lens. Interdisciplinary in orientation, the course examines counterterrorism tools and tactics – from the USA Patriot Act to immigration laws to the NSA surveillance program to religious profiling, detention and interrogation – as well as the unique legal and sociological consequences on the minority faith community. Participants will also explore the impact of the “war on terrorism” including hate violence, over-representation of Muslims as the ‘terrorist other’ in mainstream media outlets, religious discrimination in employment and education, opposition to religious land use, vitriolic and xenophobic political rhetoric, among other subjects. The seminar encourages students to engage in informed discourse as we consider policy debates and a number of relevant cases to better understand civil rights and civil liberties in contemporary America. No prior familiarity with the subject matter is required.

This is a multi-disciplinary course examining the diverse aspects of the status and roles of Muslim women. We will begin by introducing the themes of the course: the nature of patriarchy and its reflection in various traditions, the impact of cultures on articulating and implementing religious ideals, and the impact of economic and political developments such as colonialism on the roles of women. We will then briefly introduce the Islamic tradition. The bulk of the coursework will focus on: the status of women in classical Islamic teaching (the Qur'an and hadith); the institutionalization of Islamic teachings about women (in law); the views of modern reformers and the historic circumstances that affected their views; and the views of Muslim women as narrated in memoirs. Our goal is to understand the range of experiences and views of and about Muslim women, including variations that occurred with historic changes and variations in a given era based on cultural, economic, social, and political differences.

Like their neighbors in the Middle East, Muslims in East Africa and South Asia were subjected to over a century of foreign control. In efforts to address the social and political challenges of recovery from that colonial domination, many opted to distance themselves from dominant Western ideologies and develop modern institutions based on Islamic values. In this seminar we will examine the development of these efforts, focusing on the Muslim Brotherhood in Egypt and Sudan, the Jamaat-i Islami in South Asia, and the thought of leading contemporary intellectuals such as Khalid Masud, Javid Ghamidi, and Chandra Muzaffar.

Islam is often associated immediately with the Middle East, but Islam’s intellectual and religious landscape over the last two centuries is arguably a product of South Asian scholars and religio-political movements. This course will offer a survey of Islamic thought in South Asia from the medieval period to the modern, from Muslims living as a ruling minority to Muslims negotiating colonial rule and finally minority status.

The seminar will provide an overview of the study of the history of the encounter between Christians and Muslims over fourteen centuries, a history that has been marked by conflict and cooperation, diatribe and dialogue, hatred and tolerance, hostility and personal friendships. It will introduce the students to historical writings on particular periods perceived as having a special impact in shaping the current relationship between Muslims and the West such as the Crusades, Andalusia, European Imperialism, Orientalism, Christian missionary activities, women's liberation, and Muslim revolutionary movements. It will explore Muslim literature on Christianity and the growing Islamophobia.

Full Title: Muslim Masculinities: Gender, Religion, and Politics. While there has been extensive focus on Islam and gender, it has been predominantly in relation to women and femininities. This course intervenes in the dominant discourse by shifting the conversation to Muslim masculinities. We theorize Muslim masculinity not only as an embodied performance and discursive representation, but also as a practice of power, de-linked from the male body. Masculinity then can be gleaned in performances of female-coded bodies, nation-states, religious groups, and development organizations. The course will approach the topic from an interdisciplinary perspective and consider a broad range of materials from ethnographic studies and literature to state policies and programs.

The Iranian Revolution of 1979, known as the Islamic Revolution, transformed all aspects of life in Iran, from culture to politics and the nature of Iran’s external relations. In particular, it transformed Iran’s relations with the United States from that of an alliance -- albeit at times tense -- to outright hostility. The goal of the course is to provide an informed analysis, substantiated by facts, of evolving US-Iranian relations and factors in Iran, the region, and the United States which have contributed to the current state of affairs. By the end of the course, students should have a better understanding of the dynamics of US-Iranian relations beyond the headlines and also be able to use the knowledge learned and to apply the methodological tools in the course to the study of US relations with other countries.

The seminar will focus on the history of women and feminism in the modern Middle East. It will explore the political, economic and social developments in the area, the role of women as promoted by nationalist, socialist and Islamist governments, the impact of foreign interests in the developments of concepts and theories of feminism. The texts will include the writings of feminists in the Arab world and Iran.

The quarter century since 9/11 and dawn of the 'War on Terror' has seen the surfacing of tensions and crises, some long simmering, some new, as American foreign policy and domestic life have repeatedly collided. The notion of the rule of law and civil liberties has collided with anxieties over support for terrorism, 'extremism' and the exigencies of national security. The conception of America as a pluralistic and liberal nation has collided with claims of cultural, religious and even racial parochialism. Muslims in the US and shibboleths associated with them, from the 'Ground Zero Mosque' (2010) to Rep. Ilhan Omar's hijab and campus protests over Gaza, have been the meeting point of all these tensions and crises. This course will explore how 'The War on Terror,' its domestic manifestation, Islam/Muslims and debates over what America should be have shaped the US in recent decades.

The intertwining of Islam and politics has been a subject of great intrigue and debate for decades. Fundamental questions arise: What does Islam say about the realm of politics? Does an Islamic political theory exist? Is there a distinct Islamic approach to the concept of a state? Does Islam, as some contend, possess inherent political thrust? How did Muslim scholars perceive the realm of politics, and how do contemporary Muslims engage with and interpret politics today? These are just few questions that have raised spirited debates, especially in light of the emergence of various Islamist factions and movements. This course provides a comprehensive exploration of the intricate relationship between Islam and politics.It encompasses the ideas of medieval scholars like Al-Mawardi (974–1058) and Al-Juwayni, as well as those of modern-day thinkers such as Muhammed Abduh (1849-1905), Rashid Reda (1865-1935), Muhammad Iqbal (1877-1938), Sayyid Qutb (1906-1966), Hasan al- Turabi (1932-2016), Yusuf al-Qaradawi (1926-2022), and Rachid Ghannouchi (1941- ). Furthermore, the course comprehensively covers major Islamist movements, including but not limited to the Muslim Brotherhood, Salafism, and Salafi Jihadism, among others. Through rigorous critical analysis and a nuanced understanding of historical context, students will delve into the ideologies, strategies, and profound impact of these movements on the ever-evolving sociopolitical landscape of the region.

This course will provide an in-depth exploration, at a gradual level, of important genres of Muslim engagement with the Hadith tradition, Islam’s secondary (though arguably more impactful than anything else) scripture.

TBD

Course Title: Saudi Arabia and the Future of Democracy Saudi Arabia stands at a crossroads, balancing its traditional tribal structure, the influence of its ruling family, its immense wealth from oil reserves, its religious significance as the home of Islam's two holiest sites, and its strategic alliance with the United States. This course explores Saudi Arabia's unique characteristics and how they impact the country's political landscape, particularly regarding the development of democracy. Students will analyze why Saudi Arabia's political system differs from other Arab countries' political regimes that were impacted by the democratization wave during the Arab Spring period, which led Saudi Arabia to survive the wave. The course will examine the challenges and prospects for democratic reform in the country.

This course will focus on the confrontation between Islamic thought and Western modernity in the twentieth and twenty-first centuries, based on in-depth reading from the Arabic-language writings of a wide spectrum of influential scholars. The authors we will read include Muhammad Abduh, Zahid al-Kawthari, Al-Albani and Habib Ali Al-Jifri. The course objectives are improving the ability to access and understand works of Islamic thought and learning how to engage in graduate-level research on the topic.

The international campaign by intergovernmental organizations and numerous States against Al Qaeda and other non-state terrorist actors raises several critical questions for international human rights. Interdisciplinary in nature, this seminar introduces participants to related legal theories, issues and debates. The class will explore: the definition of terrorism; the role of international and intergovernmental organizations in global counter-terrorism; and the detention and treatment of suspected terrorists. We will also consider significant ongoing legal and policy debates, such as the right to privacy and mass digital surveillance; sources of violence and efficacy of current countering violent extremism paradigms; use of unmanned aerial vehicles (“drones”); and employing fully autonomous weapons (also known as “killer robots”), among issues. No prior familiarity with the subject matter is required.

This course examines the relationship between Islam and democracy; critically analyses the theories and assumptions related to contemporary debates on Islam and democracy in Muslim-majority states; identifies, defines and critically analyses the socio-economic and political challenges confronting the Muslim World; and recommends creative solutions with real world constraints. It considers the following issues and questions: the core principles of Islam; the key ideas underpinning conservative, radical/militant and reformist interpretations of Islam; the factors and forces that have shaped Muslim-majority states and societies; and whether electoral participation has had a politically and ideologically moderating effect on Islamist parties and incumbent regimes. We will also examine Western perceptions of Islam and Muslims; interrogate the 'clash of civilizations' thesis; analyse the relationship between Islam and human rights; identify and examine the factors that fueled the ‘Arab Uprisings’ and political reversals/backsliding; consider the challenges confronting consolidating democracies such as Tunisia, Indonesia and Malaysia and appraise the theological discourses and campaigns of Muslim feminists. The course involves lectures, discussions, and teamwork activities made up of students from diverse cultural backgrounds, with a view to encouraging inclusiveness and open-mindedness.

This course will explore the manner in which non-Muslims living in a Muslim society were conceived of in the Shariah tradition from the classical Islamic period to the twentieth century. It will focus on selected readings from primary, Arabic-language sources of Islamic law as well as on introducing students to the secondary source literature on the subject.

This course is an exploration of late Ottoman Islamic thought, with a focus on the legal corpus of the Mecelle legal code, the Ottoman Family Law Code of 1917 and the prolific and diverse writings of Mehmet Zahit Kevseri (d. 1952), the last academic Shaykh al-Islam of the Ottoman Empire. The class will consist of two aspects: first, close readings of primary source texts; second, an exploration of secondary source scholarship on the subject. Students will be given flexibility in pursuing their own research interests linked to the topic of late Ottoman thought, and this will culminate in a seminar paper for the class.

The seminar will examine the development of Islamic radicalism during the 20th century with special focus on the life and works of Sayyid Qutb in the context of Egyptian political, literary and religious history. It will provide an overview of the classical texts on jihad as well as well as the modern western sources that Qutb utilized in his redefinition of political Islam. It will also focus on the appeal of his ideology in the context of the encounter with the modern west as a colonial power and as a source of challenging ideas. We will look at texts from the Muslim Brotherhood, the Iranian Revolution, Takfir wa Hijra, Hamas, Hizbullah, Jihad Islami, and al-Qaeda.