As Muslims (willingly or inadvertently) have become an increasingly visible element within Western societies, current works by Muslim authors have offered important insights into the intellectual, spiritual, and political dilemmas that Muslims have had to confront in attempting to reconcile the teachings of their faith to the developments and contradictions of an increasingly Western-dominated, globalized world. Looking at the works of a number of “Muslim” authors and experts on Islam, we will assess the approaches these authors have adapted to provide a history of Islam and its theological evolutions, the historical tensions between Islam and Christendom, and the Muslim experience of and response to colonialism and its aftermaths.

Some of the questions we will ask will be: What is the role of writers who write about the Muslim world? And given the tremendous diversity of cultures within Muslim societies, how do these writers present Islam to the West? How have these writers presented the experience of colonialism, imperialism and globalization as experienced by Muslims? What elements come into play in presenting the Muslim woman as a focal point in the tension between Islam and the West? How have these writers presented Muslim perspectives on the so-called tensions between Islam and modernity in relation to aspects of commercialism, freedom of expression, human rights, and sexuality? To what degree are the tensions between the West and Islam/the Muslim world ideological/theological or economic and geopolitical?

Course Requirements:

Short reading responses, two essays, and a midterm and final exam.

Intended Audience:

All students, particularly those interested in visual culture and literature

Class Format:

Discussion