U.S. Relations w/ Muslim World

3 Credits · Level: Graduate, Undergraduate

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.