This course introduces major fiction and autobiographical works and writers of the contemporary Muslim world, from the Arab and Persian Middle East to South and Southeast Asia, North Africa, and diasporic Muslim communities in Europe and the United States.

The common theme of the literary and other works we examine is the struggle to reconcile Islamic religious and Muslim cultural values with each other and with various economic ideologies, globalization and technology, Western imperialism, and legacies of colonialism. Other themes of the course include Muslim feminism, immigrant Islam in North America and Europe, the urban, globalized Arab world, queer Muslims, Muslim youth culture and childhoods, digital Islam, representations of Islam in comics and graphic novels, and post 9/11 literature by Muslim writers. Throughout the course, we distinguish between “Islam” as the religion and “Muslim” as the blend of religion and culture that creates the varied practices and lived lives of the Muslim global community, the ummah.

This course has a significant comic art and popular culture component: we read issues of the serials The Sandman, The 99, and Ms. Marvel, and the Iranian graphic novel Zahra’s Paradise. We also listen to music.

Course Requirements:

Students are not required to have any special background in the topic. Course requirements include one group presentation, short response papers, and one final research paper.

Intended Audience:

Online-only students are welcome!

Class Format:

Exams: N/A

Lectures: Synchronous/Asynchronous and Online

Class Discussions: Synchronous/Asynchronous and Online