Master
2021/2022
Islam and Politics
Category 'Best Course for Broadening Horizons and Diversity of Knowledge and Skills'
Category 'Best Course for New Knowledge and Skills'
Type:
Elective course (Socioeconomic and Political Development of Modern Asia)
Area of studies:
Asian and African Studies
Delivered by:
School of Asian Studies
When:
2 year, 1 module
Mode of studies:
offline
Open to:
students of all HSE University campuses
Instructors:
Irina A. Tsaregorodtseva
Master’s programme:
Socioeconomic and Political Development of Modern Asia
Language:
English
ECTS credits:
3
Contact hours:
42
Course Syllabus
Abstract
This course will introduce students to politics and polities of Muslim majority countries and its neighbors with a particular focus on the Middle East. With the introduction of tailored analytical tools and techniques students will be better equipped to understand the intrinsic Islamic factor shaping Middle Eastern politics. Through classes students will familiarize themselves with the role of Islam in contemporary Muslim societies, as well as with the issue of compatibility of Islam and democracy, Islam and liberal thought etc.
Learning Objectives
- The main goal of the course is to equip students with the knowledge of main approaches to the Islamic factor in contemporary politics based on the most demonstrative cases.
- Encourage a critical understanding of the diversity of approaches to the study of Islamic politics’ and political Islam
- Enable students to engage with the wider debates in the field of Political and Islamic studies.
- Develop an understanding of interaction between sources and historical interpretation.
- Enhance students’ ability to analyze and explain how Islamic institutions affect politics in various states and regions.
Expected Learning Outcomes
- Argues if Islamism adaptable to modernity and capitalism
- Argues if the idea of Islamic State is still popular in the North Caucasus and why
- Demonstrates and explains the complexity of the notion 'Islam' and provides appropriate examples
- Explains complexity of the influence of Islam over Muslim majority states
- Explains the difference between Islamic and secular feminism
- Explains the roots of hostility of some Muslim intellectuals towards the West
- Names and explains main features and notions of Islamic economic theory
- Names approaches towards defining Islam's compatibility with democratic institutions and values
- Names main sources of Islamic law, explains the difference between Sharia and Fiqh
- Names the main approaches to analyzing political system in Iran
- Names various types of secularism on the example of some Middle Eastern states
Course Contents
- Presentation of the Course
- Discussion "A Muslims’ Image of Islam: How Do Believers Describe Their Faith?"
- Studying Islam and Politics in Western and Non-Western Academia
- Political Islam / Islamism and Islamic Politics / Muslim Politics – What is the Difference?
- Islam’s Connection to the State Affairs
- Discussion "Islam, Sharia and State"
- Discussion “Is Islamic Republic of Iran a Democracy?”
- Discussion "West in the Eyes of Muslim Intellectuals"
- Islamic Revival and the Roots of Political Islam
- Islam and Secularism: A Battle or a Synthesis?
- Under-Estimation of the Role of Islam in Politics: The Case of Islamic Revolution in Iran
- Over-Estimation of the Role of Islam in Politics: The Case of Saudi Arabia
- Is Islam Compatible with Democracy? Team Work and Debates
- Islamic [Non-Western] Political Movements and Parties
- Discussion "Is Islamism Still Alive?"
- Arab Civil Society
- Discussion "Islamic Economics: A Myth or a Reality?"
- Discussion “Political Interpretation of the Quran”
- Political Islam, Gender and Modernity
- Political Islam in the Russian Caucasus
Bibliography
Recommended Core Bibliography
- Economics, Yates, C. S. J., 1989
- Empirical political analysis : quantitative and qualitative research methods, Brians, C. L., 2011
- Iran : a modern history, Amanat, A., 2017
- Knysh, A. D. (2017). Islam in Historical Perspective (Vol. 2nd. edition). New York: Routledge. Retrieved from http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&site=eds-live&db=edsebk&AN=1404076
- Political science research methods, Johnson, J. B., 2012
Recommended Additional Bibliography
- Britain now. B.1: The press, politics, the family, local government, , 1992
- Democracy in modern Iran : Islam, culture, and political change, Mirsepassi, A., 2010
- Islam, gender, & social change / ed. by Yvonne Yazbeck Haddad & John L. Esposito. (1998). New York [u.a.]: Oxford Univ. Press. Retrieved from http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&site=eds-live&db=edswao&AN=edswao.063764733
- Jihad : the trail of political islam, Kepel, G., 2009
- Kemper, M. (2009). Studying Islam in the Soviet Union. Amsterdam University Press.
- Lewis, B. (1993). Islam and the West. New York: Oxford University Press. Retrieved from http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&site=eds-live&db=edsebk&AN=288563
- Political Islam, world politics and Europe : democratic peace and Euro-Islam versus global Jihad, Tibi, B., 2008
- Unholy war : terror in the name of Islam, Esposito, J. L., 2002