Representations of Muslims that dominate in the West typically present two monolithic images—that of the terrorist and that of the victim (of either Islamist fundamentalism or Western warfare). It is rare that representations of Muslims by Muslims rise to prominence within the West that are not either framed as a “humanizing project” aimed at making Muslims more sympathetic or derided for reaffirming Islamophobic stereotypes in order to appeal to a Western audience. These flawed or incomplete representations can have real-life societal and political consequences—from interpersonal misunderstandings to impacting the formation of legislation and international policy. In this first-year seminar, which satisfies the First-Year Writing Requirement, we will complicate and critique these depictions of Islam and Muslims by examining representations of Islam by Muslims and individuals from the Islamic world across diverse forms of contemporary cultural expression and consider the impact that more diverse representation can have on a local and global scale.

Readings will include scholarly discussions of representations of Muslims in cultural production and address questions including: How has 9/11 and the rise of the global “war on terror” altered these representations? What is the effect of the conflation of Muslims and individuals from the so-called Islamic World (aka Middle East/Near East/West Asia)? How are cultural producers challenging assumptions about hijabi (veiled) women? How have representations of Islam translated to real-world impacts on a social and political scale? We’ll examine works across media including the visual arts, film, literature, graphic novels, and even video games. Examples of what we’ll be looking at include Shirin Neshat’s Women of Allah series, Ayad Akhtar’s play Disgraced, and Marjane Satrapi’s graphic novel Persepolis to name a few. Writing assignments will include critical analysis of a work, an exhibition review, and a final argumentative research paper about an artist or work and its place in scholarly conversations about representations of Islam. These essays will examine the potential and/or observed impacts of these depictions on our contemporary lives. Students will revise drafts of these essays using instructor feedback as well as engaging in peer review. No prior knowledge of Islam or the Islamic World required.