Muslms NonMus Minority in ME

3 Credits · Level: Graduate, Undergraduate

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.