The growing political strength, self-awareness and solidarity of Muslim communities across the world have been evident since the early 1970s.  In the wake of the Cold War, Muslim politics has caused particular concern in the West, where the notion of ‘Islamic Radicalism’ has been increasingly used to create an image of the threatening cultural ‘Other’. This course is aimed at a better understanding of Islam, Islamic movements, Islamic revivalism or Islamism in a variety of settings.  Specifically, it is a course about how to think about Islamic radicalism as a conglomeration of context-specific policies, projects, ideals, institutions, and movements that have their origin in Muslim societies’ response to “modernity”.  It is designed to introduce students to major theoretical perspectives on Islamism, and its practical manifestations in individual countries (not confined to the Arab World), as well as in the regional and global arena.

One 4,000-5,000 words essay (60%), 3-hour final examination (40%)

One two-hour seminar per week