The Ethics of War and Peace in Islam

Undergraduate catalogue cross-listing

Western stereotypes often equate Islam with violence, in contrast to Christianity and secular Western modernity. This course dismantles stereotypes. We explore the ethics of war and peace in Islamic scripture, jurisprudence and historical narratives. What is jihad? How did Medieval Islamic jihad theory differ from Medieval Christian just war theory? Do heroic narratives reflect the realities of war? Has Western just war ever been just? What has been the cost of the "war on terror" against Muslims? We explore these questions and others through primary sources in translation (including poetry and fiction), modern scholarship, and films.