CLWR 5420 - Political Islam

Why have some Muslims turned to religion as a source for political identity in the contemporary world? What terms should we use to describe this phenomenon? Which individuals and groups have embraced the religio-political renewal, and why have they done so? What forms have the renewal movements taken? In what directions have they developed? What role, in particular, have modernizing states played in the instrumentalizing of Islamic institutions for purposes of control and legitimacy? How have non-state actors–the `ulama’, lay activists, social movements–responded to the conditions created by modernizing states? Addresses these questions by exploring a range of case studies in different national/cultural context–Africa (Morocco, Sudan, Somalia), Southeast Asia (Indonesia), Western Europe (France, Germany, the Netherlands), and North America (US and Canada). Through these case studies, probes what we mean by ‘political Islam’–but also the politics of Islam, and what the implications are for a wider globalized modernity.

Requisites
CLWR 5330 or HIST 5371
Credit Hours: 4.0
Repeat/Retake Information: May not be retaken.

Lecture/Lab Hours: 4.0 lecture

Eligible grades: A-F,PR,WP,WF,FN,FS,AU,I