RELIGION 209 – MERE 209
RELIGION IN THE CONTEMPORARY MIDDLE EAST

This course will explore the impact of religion in contemporary Middle Eastern culture through the study of Middle Eastern monotheisms: Islam, Judaism, and, to a lesser degree, Christianity. We will focus on specific national settings where religion has played a decisive role: Egypt, Lebanon, Syria, Iraq, Iran, and Israel. Internal divisions and tensions will be explored: Sunnism vs. Shi'ism, and modernism vs. fundamentalism in Islam; secularism vs. theocracy, and nationalism vs. messianism in Israeli Judaism; and colonialism vs. nativism in Christianity. Ultimately, we will examine the so-called "inter-religious" conflicts (e.g., the Israeli-Arab dispute, oftentimes cast as a religious quarrel) with an eye towards defining what role religion plays in such conflicts.
Regularly scheduled class sessions will not be held on major Jewish holidays and will not be rescheduled (this year: Passover).
There will be a number of writing assignments throughout the course. The culmination of these writing assignments will be a 15-page research paper due on APRIL 30. The dates and deadlines for writing assignments are as follows:

The remaining 15% of the course grade will be determined by classroom participation. One way you can become proficient in the classroom is to read a regional newspaper or newsmagazine. All requirements must be satisfactorily completed on time for a passing grade, and in accor-dance with the regulations as stated in the Student Hand-book.

Required texts:
Arab Human Development Report 2002
Friedman, T. From Beirut to Jerusalem
Kepel, G. The Revenge of God
Qutb, Sayyid. Milestones
Sivan, E. Radical Islam: Medieval Theology and Modern Politics

On Reserve:
Elon, Amos. Israelis: Founders & Sons
Marty, M. & S. Appleby (eds.) Fundamentalisms and the State
——————. Accounting for Fundamentalisms
Sivan, E. & M. Friedman (eds.) Religious Radicalism & Politics in the Middle East

Jan. 20 * Seminar Introduction
1. Friedman: 1-75
2. "The Clash of Civilizations?" (By Samuel P. Huntington, from Foreign Affairs, Summer 1993).
3. F. Zakaria, "Why Do They Hate Us?" from Newsweek, Oct. 15, 2001.

Jan. 22, 27 & 29 * "HAMA RULES"
1. Friedman:76-105
2. Arab Human Development Report 2002

UNIT 1. ISLAM
EGYPT, SYRIA, LEBANON
Feb. 3, 5, 10, 12
1. Sivan, Radical Islam: 1-82
2. Kepel, The Revenge of God: 13-46

Feb. 19 & 26
1. Qutb, Milestones
2. Sivan, Radical Islam: 83-129

Mar. 2
1. Friedman:106-247
*2. M. Kramer, "Hizbullah: The Calculus of Jihad" in Fundamentalisms and the State, eds. Marty & Appleby, pp. 539-554

IRAN
Mar. 23
1. Sivan, Radical Islam: 181-207
*2. M. Kramer, "Khomeini’s Messengers: The Disputed Pilgrimage of Islam" in Sivan & Friedman, pp. 177-194.
*3. Nikki R. Keddie & F. Monjian, "Militancy and Religion in Contemporary Iran" in Fundamentalisms and the State, eds. Marty & Appleby, pp. 511-534

IRAQ
Mar. 25
1. A. Baram, "The Radical Shi’ite Opposition Movements in Iraq" in Sivan & Friedman, pp. 95-125

Zionism
April 1
*1. Amos Elon, Israelis: Founders and Sons, pp. 41-105

Israeli Judaism
April 8
1. Friedman:284-321

D. Jewish Fundamentalism
April 15
1. Friedman: 322-365
*2. C. Liebman, "The Jewish Religion and Contemporary Israeli Nationalism," in Sivan & Friedman, pp. 77-94

April 20
*1. M. Friedman, "Jewish Zealots: Conservative versus Innovative" in Sivan & Friedman, pp. 127-141
*2. A. Ravitzky, "Religious Radicalism and Political Messianism in Israel," in Sivan & Friedman, pp. 11-37

April 22
1. G. Aran, "Redemption as a Catastrophe: The Gospel of Gush Emunim" in Sivan & Friedman, pp. 157-175
2. Friedman:366-509

HAMAS
April 27
*1. Jean-Francois Legrain, "Palestinian Islamisms: Patriotism as a Condition of Their Expansion" in Accounting for Fundamentalisms, eds. Marty & Appleby, pp. 413-426.