MES Courses taught during the 2009-2010 year:
Fall 2009
ARBC 101 (S. Liebhaber; H. Fakhreddine)
HEBR 0101 (N. Debir)
RELI 0150 The Islamic Tradition
This is a historical and thematic introduction to the Islamic tradition and the worldwide Muslim community, with a special emphasis on the medieval period. Stressing sources, doctrines, religious institutions and practices, topics will include: Arabia and the Near East before Islam; the life and times of Prophet Muhammad; the Qur’an, Islam’s scripture; the spread of Islam and the formation of Islamic identities; the development of the traditions of Hadith and Shariah; the major sects, schools of law and theology including Mu’tazila, Sunna, Shi’a, and the mystical movement (Sufism); the diversity in Islamic beliefs and practice; art and architecture; and the intricate relation between religion and politics in shaping religious doctrines. 3 hrs. lect., 1 hr. disc. HIS PHL AAL (J. Stearns)
RELI 0160 The Jewish Tradition
An introductory course on central themes and problems in Judaism and the life of “the People of the Book,” with the goal of understanding contemporary ideas, institutions, and problems of Jewish life and thought in historical perspective. Topics will include: the formative ideas in Jewish thought monotheism, commandment, Torah; liturgy, ritual, and rhythm of Jewish life; theory and practice of the commandments; the tension between textual tradition and innovation; the origins and contemporary denominations of Judaism (Reform, Conservative, Reconstructionist, and Orthodox); Zionism and the meaning of Israel 2 hrs. lect., 1 hr. disc. PHL EUR (R. Schine)
HEBR 0201 (N. Debir)
ARBC 0201 A and B (N. Morkos)
ARBC 0210 Arabia: A Literary Approach (in English)
In this course we will examine the Arabian Peninsula as a literary topos that has beguiled representation in both Eastern and Western literature. Whether it is depicted as a glittering spectacle of petro-dollars, the haunt of Bedouin tribesmen or as a sacred focal point, Arabia is an open canvas on which successive societies have sketched their anxieties and aspirations Simultaneously, Arabia has its own rich legacy of self-representation that has been shaped by its harsh environment and unique resources. We will sift through these representations in texts that range among pre-Islamic poetry, the accounts of foreign explorers, novels by modern Arab authors, and contemporary Bedouin oral poetry. All readings will be in English and no previous knowledge of Arabic is required. 3 hrs. sem. LIT AAL (S. Liebhaber)
HIST 0266 Egypt, Iran, and Turkey: Alternatives to Modernization
The Middle East’s struggles with modernization are encapsulated in the history of its three most populous nation-states: Egypt, Iran, and Turkey. The rise of nationalism, European incursions in the Middle East, and internal strife contributed to the gradual fall of the Ottoman and Qajar Empires in the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. From the rubble emerged distinct social, political, economic, and religious responses to modernization, ranging from the establishment of a secular, ultra-nationalist state in Turkey, Arab nationalism in Egypt, monarchism and Islamism in Iran. We will explore and compare these three experiences using an array of sources including primary documents, works of fiction, and film. 3 hrs. lect./disc. HIS SOC AAL CMP (F. Armanios)
ARBC 301 (U. Soltan)
RELI 0359 Issues in Islamic Law and Ethics: Questions of Life and Death ET, WT
From the Rushdie affair to the controversy over the veil in France and the sentencing of a Nigerian woman to death by stoning, Islamic Law has been portrayed in the West as archaic, barbaric, and inflexible. In this course we will provide an introduction to Islamic Law and its continuing relevance to millions of Muslims in the twenty-first century. Concepts of legal authority, cultural influence, and the varieties of legal interpretation will be examined in an Islamic context. We will examine the origins and development of Islamic law during the pre-modern period before focusing on contemporary issues that have attracted attention in recent years. (RELI 0150) 3 hrs. sem. PHL AAL (J. Stearns)
ARBC 0401 Advanced Arabic III
This is an advanced course in Modern Standard Arabic (MSA). Instruction will provide students with extensive exposure to authentic texts in MSA (though texts in Egyptian and Levantine Arabic will also be used) with a higher level of elaboration and complexity, drawn from a wide range of subjects and sources, including newspapers, magazines, TV and radio broadcasts, and short stories. We will focus on enhancing learners’ linguistic proficiency in all four language skills, introducing them to further cultural aspects of the Arab world, as well as engaging them in a variety of tasks so they can use MSA to write and talk about a wide range of issues of their interest. 3 hrs. lect/disc. LNG AAL (H. Fakhredinne)
INTL 0473 Diasporas & Homelands
War, mass migration, and globalization have spurred development of diaspora communities and heightened scholarly interest in the phenomenon. In contrast to other groups of exiles and immigrants,
diaspora communities seek integration within host countries as well as ongoing political, economic, and cultural ties to their homelands. A number of questions arise from these complex and dynamic relationships: How do diaspora communities maintain cultural distinctiveness within host countries? How do they maintain and reproduce cultural ties with homelands and other centers of diaspora life? What influence do diaspora communities have on political relationships between host countries and homelands? What influence do they have on internal homeland politics? Finally, what are the implications of the diaspora phenomenon for the future of the nation-state and globalization? Case studies will be drawn from a variety of diaspora communities, including Jews, Palestinians, Armenians, Africans, and Indians. This course is equivalent to SOAN 0473. 3 hrs sem. SOC CMP (T. Sasson)
Spring:
ARBC 103 (U. Soltan; N. Morkos)
HEBR 0103 (N. Debir)
HIST 0108 The Early History of Islam and the Middle East
This course is an introduction to the history of Islamic civilizations from the advent of Islam around 610 C.E. to the Ottoman conquest of Constantinople in 1453. The principal geographic areas covered are the Middle East and North Africa. Since “Islam” encompasses not simply a religion but an entire cultural complex, this course will trace the development of religious, political, economic, and social institutions in this region. Topics covered include the early Islamic conquests, the rise of religious sectarianism, gender relations, and the expansion of Islamic empires. Pre-1800. 3 hrs lect./disc. HIS SOC AAL (F. Armanios)
ARBC 202 (S. Liebhaber; H. Fakhreddine)
HEBR 202 (N. Debir)
GEOG 0220 Geopolitics of the Middle East
This course examines the Middle East from a geographical perspective with emphasis on the historical and political underpinnings of the region. The Middle East, the cradle of civilization, has been, due to its geography, one of the major arenas for political and ideological conflicts. It has been subject to an unequal power relationship with the West, which, together with Islam, has affected the level of its political, social, and economic development. This course will provide an analytical introduction to the historical, political, social, and economic geography of the region and will analyze the major transitions this region has undergone. 3 hrs.lect. SOC CMP AAL (T. Mayer)
ARBC 0221 Modern Arabic Literature
This course is a survey of the most important moments in the development of Modern Arabic Literature from the end of nineteenth century to the present. We will map the developments, achievements, and innovations by Arab writers against a double background of rising nationalism, decolonization, and wars on the one hand and the idea and experiences of modernity and the west on the other. We will examine works of fiction by both male and female writers including novels, short stories, and drama, as well as poetry representing several different Arab countries. Students are encouraged to read in advance Albert Hourani’s A History of the Arab People. (Open to all, no previous knowledge of Arabic is required). 3 hrs. Sem LIT AAL (H. Fakhreddine)
RELI 0257 Shi’ism: Origins and Contemporary Practice WT
Beginning with the formation of a Shi’i identity in the first century of Islam, we will trace the gradual articulation of distinct Shi’i and Sunni communities and the subsequent emergence of a variety of Shi’i political, religious and cultural manifestations. From the revolutions against the Umayyad dynasty, to the establishment of the Buyid, Fatimid and later, the Safavid Empire, Shi’ism has always played an important and vibrant role in the Muslim world. The course will end with a consideration of the role of religion in the Iranian revolution and the contemporary debates between Sunnis and Shi’is in the Muslim world. 3 hrs lect. PHL HIS AAL (J. Stearns)
ARBC 0302 (N. Morkos)
RELI 0362 Zionism: Ideas and Realities
In this course, we study the emergence of Zionism as a Jewish national movement in the 19th century, and follow its proponents and critics into the present debate on the nature of the modern State of Israel. Topics include: Zionism as a secular rebellion against tradition, Zionism as a messianic movement; the vision of a “bi-national state”, the Palestinian critique of Zionism, “Postzionism” and the controversy over the “New Historians.” Materials include readings from the major voices in the history of Zionism and their critics, modern scholarship, and Israeli and Palestinian literature. 3 hrs. sem. PHL HIS (R. Schine)
ARBC 0402 Advanced Arabic IV
This course is a continuation of ARBC 0401. 3 hrs. lect./disc. LNG AAL (U. Soltan)
HIST 0427 Readings on Ottoman History in the Middle East and the Balkans
The Ottoman Empire arose from the rubble of waning Islamic and Byzantine empires and became the longest lasting Islamic empire in history. In this seminar we will explore the rise of the empire, from its nascence as an unknown tribe in thirteenth-century western Anatolia to its formidable dominance of the Mediterranean and European worlds in the fifteenth and sixteenth centuries, and on to its responses to European ascendancy on the eve of modernity. Selected readings will help us explore its origins, its political, social, and cultural structures, as well as its multi-ethnic and multi-cultural identity, with particular attention to its influence on the Balkans and the Arab Middle East during the early modern period. 3 hrs. sem. HIS AAL (F. Armanios)
