Politics 207: Islam and Politics

This course surveys the various significations of Islam in contemporary politics, with an emphasis on references to Muslims from the Middle East. We will consider how authors have advanced diverse, and often conflicting, understandings of Islam in response to concrete political problems in the 20th century—and what it means for us, in a post-9/11 world, to study what they said. The course is divided in two parts: ‘Beginnings as Dissidence’ and ‘Political Order Today.’ In the first part (‘Beginnings as Dissidence’), we consider instantiations of political thought that draw on origin stories to resist existing power structures. Our survey will include articulations of Islam in relation to republicanism, Marxism, black internationalism, and the anti-colonial tradition. In the second part (‘Political Order Today’), we consider instantiations of political thought that reference Islam to establish, justify, and/or reform existing power structures (e.g. the modern state). Our survey will include articulations of Islam in relation to liberal democracy, constitutionalism, neo-liberalism, and themes pertaining to the status of minority populations in plural societies (e.g. gender equality and free speech). May taken for credit toward the Middle East/Islamic World area requirement for the South Asian and Middle Eastern Studies major.