Sociology of Political Islam
Fall 2007
Whittemore Hall, 257
Wednesday 4:00 – 6:50 PM
Course Description and Objective
The subject of this course is Islam and its socio-economic and political structure. We will look at the role of Islam in world politics, within the larger context of globalization. Islam is a religion as well as an ideology, and as such, it represents a political opportunity structure for many political and social groups and movements around the World. It plays a major role in world politics today, especially after the collapse of the Soviet Union and Islamic movements have occupied the public and political sphere most notably following September 11 of 2001. We will look at Islam from an ideological and identity point of view, and will seek to understand what Islam means to the Muslim populated countries and societies as well as to the non-Muslim countries. Today, Islam represents one fifth of the World’s population located from Morocco to Indonesia and one of the fastest growing religions. The contribution of Islam to world civilization is undeniable, however in the last one hundreds years, Muslims have been faced with economic underdevelopment, dictatorship, colonialism/exploitation/imperialism, and most importantly modernity. What does modernity mean for Muslims? Will there be an Islamic renaissance? How about an Islamic reformation? We will try to answer these questions from our perspective by the end of the course.
This course will also review and analyze the increasing trend of Islamic movements throughout the World. Islamic movements have a unique structure in the context of Western-oriented social movement theory, because social movement theory was based on and established according to Western social and political structures. Therefore, we will try to understand the cultural, economic, and political roots of the increase in religious movements. Particularly, we must reach an understanding of Islamic revivalism after the 1980's in counties such as Afghanistan , Pakistan , Iran , Algeria , Turkey , Indonesia , and Egypt .
The gender roles in Islam is one unique example of cultural and traditional parameters that have shaped the role of women in Islamic societies. This role is at present more traditional than the one that Islam originally prescribed. We will try to understand the original text of Islamic sources and compare them with the current more traditional structures of thought.
As described above, Islam is not just a religion, it is also likely to be manifest itself as a socio-economic and political structure; therefore, one must understand the socio-historical background and origin of Islamic belief systems as well as its underpinning theoretical thinkers such as:
Ibn Taymiyya - http://www.muslimphilosophy.com/ip/rep/H039.htm
Jamal ad-Din al-Afghani - http://www.cis-ca.org/voices/a/afghni.htm
Hasan Al-Banna - http://www.youngmuslims.ca/biographies/display.asp?ID=8
Sayyid Qutb - http://www.muslimedia.com/archives/features99/qutb.htm
Ali Shariati - http://www.shariati.com/
Fazlur Rahman - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fazlur_Rahman
In this course, we will look at each of these issues in terms of Islam and what was meant within its original context.
Fazlur Rahman, Islam, Chicago , IL : University of Chicago
Graham E. Fuller, The Future of Political Islam, New York , NY
Omid Safi (ed.), Progressive Muslims: On Justice, Gender and Pluralism, Oxford : Oneworld Press, 2004.
Course Package: The Sociology of Political Islam Religion/Sociology 2984.
Contents:
- Islamic Way of Life by Syed Abul A'ala Mawdudi
- Between Yesterday and Today by Hasan Al-Banna
- Milestone by Sayyid Qutb
- Quran and Woman by Amina Wadud-Muhsin
- Liberal Islam, Radical Islam and American Foreign Policy by Muqdetar Khan
- Islamic Mobilization by Ziad Munson
- Mawdudi and the Transformation of Jama’at-e-Islami in
- Hamas as Social Movement y Glenn Robinson
- Islamism in
- Opportunity Spaces, Identity and Islamic Meaning in
- Hizbullah and the Theory of Social Movement by Mohammed Bamyeh
- Political Dimensions of Religious Conflict in
- Globalization and Post-Soviet Revival of Islam in Central Asian and the
Other Readings will be posted on blackboard and you will find them under the course documents.
Amina Wadud, Qur’an and Woman: Reading the Sacred Text rom a Women’s Perspective, New York , NY
Carl Ernst, Following Muhammad: Rethinking Islam in the Contemporary World, Chapel Hill , North Carolina : University of North Carolina
Charles Kurzman (Ed.), Liberal Islam, New York , NY : Oxford University
Charles Kurzman (Ed.), Modernist Islam, 1840-1940: A Source-Book, New York , NY : Oxford University
Edmund Burke and Ira Lapidus (Ed.), Islam, Politics and Social Movements, Los Angeles , CA : University of California
Fatma Mernissi, Beyond the Veil: Male-Female Dynamics in a Modern Muslim Society, Indiana University
Mansoor Moaddel, Islamic Modernism, Nationalism and Fundamentalism: Episode and Discourse, Chicago , IL : The University of Chicago
Oliver Roy, Globalized Islam, New York , NY : Columbia University
Edward Said on Orientalism, Media Education Foundation, http://www.mediaed.org Tel: 800-897-0089 or 413-584-8500, 2002.
Course Requirements
To prevent confusion later, please read the following information:
Weekly Take-home Quizzes: The Take-home Quizzes will include an open book essay that will determine what you have learned in class each week. I will ask you two questions regarding the same week’s class subject and discussion. The Take-home Quiz should be at least two pages long and single-spaced. Font size should be Times New Roman, 12 point. The due date for each exam is Tuesday by 5:00 PM.
Article/Website Review: You can choose an article or website related with Islam and its role in the global politics and society. The article/Website review should be at least four pages, double-spaced. Please come and talk to me regarding the article/website that you will analyze and I must approve your article or website review by October 18. Please send me your article/website review proposal by email. Font size should be Times New Roman, 12 point. Due date for a book or an article review is October 30th.
Final Paper: You will choose a topic related with socio-economic and political dimensions of Islam, such as gender issue in Islam or Islamic movement in a specific country. I must approve your topic and plan. Final paper proposals are due as MS Word attachments emailed to me by Friday November 2nd. Final paper is a short empirical or theoretical paper (at least 10 pages) on very focused topic directly related to this course. Font size should be Times New Roman, 12 point. The last day to submit your final paper is December 10.
Attendance: Regular attendance is one of the important parameters to successful completion of the course requirements.
Participation: Each student must read course material before they attend class and I expect them to participate the class discussion.
Grades: Your grade for this course will be based on your performance on the following components, shown with their dates and respective weights.
Item Date Weight (%)
10 The Take-home Quizzes Every Friday 60.0
Final Paper Friday, December 15 20.0
Attendance 5.0
Participation 5.0
Disabilities: Please let me know if you have any disabilities relevant to your involvement in this class, so that I can make appropriate adjustments. Contact the Dean of Student office, 152 Henderson Hall, 231-3787, if you think you may have a class related disability for which you need counseling and certification. The Dean of Students office and I keep all matters related to disabilities in strict confidence
Honor System: I will enforce the Honor Code strictly in this course. Be familiar with it. Unless specifically stated otherwise, you should complete any work for this course without assistance from others. Cheating, plagiarism, falsifications and attempts at any of these acts in connection with any work for this course are violation of the Honor Code.
Additional Remarks: If you have difficulty with the course, please schedule a time to discuss your concerns with me, to help you get back on track.
August 22 Introduction to Course and overview syllabus
Introduction to Islam
August 29 Muhammad and The Qur’an / Pages 11-42. Islam by Fazlur Rahman
Documentary: 30 Days as a Muslim 2006 a film by Morgan Spurlock
Take-home Quiz- 1, Tuesday September 4
September 5 Origins and Development of Tradition and The Structure of Law / Pages 43-84. Islam by Fazlur Rahman
Documentary: Muhammad: Legacy of a Prophet 2005 a film by Michael Schwarz
Take-home Quiz- 2, Tuesday September 11
September 12 Dialectical Theology and the Development of Dogma and The Shari’a / Pages 85 – 116. Islam by Fazlur Rahman
Documentary: Muhammad: Legacy of a Prophet 2005 a film by Michael Schwarz
Take-home Quiz- 3, Tuesday September 18
September 19 The Philosophical Movement - Sufi Doctrine and Practice – Sufi Organizations / Pages 117-166. Islam by Fazlur Rahman
Take-home Quiz- 4, Tuesday September 25
September 26 Sectarian Developments – Education – Pre-modernist Reform Movements / Pages 167-211. Islam by Fazlur Rahman
Take-home Quiz- 5, Tuesday October 2
October 3 Modern Developments – Legacy and Prospects / Pages 212-265. Islam by Fazlur Rahman
Take-home Quiz- 6, Tuesday October 9
October 10 Islamic Way of Life by Syed Abul A'ala Mawdudi
Between Yesterday and Today by Hasan Al-Banna
Milestone by Sayyid Qutb
From the Course Package
Documentary: The Power of Nightmares: Part I: Baby It's Cold Outside
Take-home Quiz- 7, Tuesday October 16
October 17 Progressive Muslims and Contemporary Islam – Part I
Pages 33-141. Progressive Muslims: On Justice gender and Pluralism by Omid Safi
October 24 Quran and Woman by Amina Wadud-Muhsin / From the Course Package
Progressive Muslims and Gender Justice Part II/Pages 147-243. Progressive Muslims: On Justice gender and Pluralism by Omid Safi
Documentary: Inside Egypt
Due date for an article or website Review Tuesday October 30
October 31 Progressive Muslims and Pluralism Part III / Pages 251-332
Progressive Muslims: On Justice gender and Pluralism by Omid Safi
The final paper proposals are due as MS Word attachments emailed to me by Friday November 2
November 7 Liberal Islam, Radical Islam and American Foreign Policy by Muqdetar Khan / From the Course Package
The Future of Political Islam by Graham Fuller
Documentary: The Power of Nightmares: Part II: The Phantom Victory
Take-home Quiz- 8, Tuesday November 13
Due date for a book or an article/website review is November 6
November 14 The Future of Political Islam by Graham Fuller
Islamic Mobilization by Ziad Munson
Mawdudi and the Transformation of Jama’at-e-Islami in Pakistan by Abdul Rashid Moten
From the Course Package
Documentary: The Power of Nightmares: Part III: The Shadows in the Cave
Take-home Quiz- 9, Tuesday November 27
November 28 Hamas as Social Movement y Glenn Robinson
Islamism in Turkey : beyond instrument and meaning by Cihan Tugal
Opportunity Spaces, Identity and Islamic Meaning in Turkey by Hakan Yavuz
Hizbullah and the Theory of Social Movement by Mohammed Bamyeh
From the Course Package
Take-home Quiz- 10, Tuesday December 4
December 5 Political Dimensions of Religious Conflict in Malaysia Abdul Fauzi Abdul Hamid
Indonesia, Islam, and the Prospect for Democracy by Mark R. Woodward
Globalization and Post-Soviet Revival of Islam in Central Asian and the Caucasus by Mohammad Karim
From the Course Package
The last day to submit your final paper Monday December 10
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