HIST 319 - Muslim Political Thought: Past & Present

FC SSCI CD WINT

4 credits
This course traces the evolution of the Muslim political thought, from views on Prophet Muhammad’s state in Arabic to ideologies of Islamic governments, Islamist movements, and political parties today. It investigates the idea of the Caliphate in Sunni political theories, distressed visions on abolishing the last caliphate in the early 20^th century, and recent attempts to restore it by militant movements. Similarly, it examines the notion of the Imamate in Shi’i theories and the textual basis of Iran’s Islamic Republic. It scrutinizes treatises on the political economy of struggling sultans, secret orders of Assassins, rights of religious minorities under conquering caliphs, and women’s role in war. As Islamist political parties sweep or lose democratic elections in many Muslim countries today, the course examines their online media. Finally, the course explores how classical ideas influence the popular culture in Muslim communities today, as reflected in TV’s soap operas about exoticized or vilified Ottoman courts, online Fatwas about women’s political rights, or even videogames on medieval assassins.