Dept Sem: Role:Islam:Politics

3 Credits · Level: Graduate, Undergraduate

In this course, we will investigate the relationship between modernization, politics, and Islam in Muslim-majority countries. This course provides a unique overview of the historical and political developments from the end of World War II to the Arab Spring that have made Islam a major political force, and discusses Islam’s impact on emerging democracies in the contemporary Middle East We will systematically analyze the status of Islam within modern nation-states through several case studies” Iraq, Pakistan and Turkey as well as Egypt and Tunisia. Such case studies will show how Islamic references have been central to building modern national narratives and institutions, and how collective Islamic discourses and actions will influence post authoritarian regimes and democratic transitions. The analysis of each country will be based on a discussion of the theories of modernization and democratization as well as on a comparison with other similar developments in other parts of the world.