Department of History
Iraj Bashiri
1043 Heller Hall
Telephone: 624-3314
e-mail: bashi001@umn.edu
web: irajbashiri.com
Office hours: W, 11:15-12:00
or by appointment
SYLLABUS
Islam and the West
GLOS 3643;
HIST 3546; RELS 3714
Spring Semester, 2018
Conceptual
Frame:
This
course focuses on the cultural and intellectual trends that have defined the
fundamental differences between Islam and the West. It examines the development
of the historical, philosophical, and intellectual mindset of both spheres and
points out factors that have contributed and continue to contribute to tension,
anxiety, and hatred between the peoples of the Middle East and Europe and the
United States.
Objectives:
· Acquaint the students with the fundamental differences between Islam and Western cultures
· Equip students with the means for a better understanding of international events
· Teach students to distinguish different trends and accept them for what they are
· Discuss factors that create tension, anxiety, and hatred among peoples and nations
· Examine aspects of Islamic and Western cultures that inspire respect and emulation
Class Sessions:
January
17 Introduction to the course; course content,
materials to be covered, office hours, tests, oral report, book report, paper,
participation, attendance, grades.
Assignment: Bashiri 2017, pp. 1-12; Shahid, pp. 3-29 (optional)
E-reserve URL: https://reserves.lib.umn.edu/
19 Pre-Islamic Arabia
Assignment: Bashiri 2017, pp. 12-20
22 Prophet Muhammad and the Rise of Islam
Assignment: Bashiri 2017, pp.
21-33; 49-60
24 "The
Message"
26 The Pillars of the Islamic Faith
Assignment: Bashiri 2017, pp. 73-84
29 Sunni and Shi'ite Sects
Assignment: Bashiri, Terminology
Related to Islam
31 Schools of Islamic Law
Assignment: Bashiri 2017. Pp. 104-114; Schimmel, pp. 98-186 (optional)
February
2 "Society of
the Just"; Islamic Mysticism
5 Oral Reports Group I
7 Oral Reports Group I
Assignment: Bashiri, Attar's
Seven Valleys of Love; Rogers, pp. 73-80; 107-136.
9 Islamic Mysticism; "The Sufi Way"
Study Guide I posted
Assignment: Hunter, pp. 3-28; 51-76;
191-203
12 Islam in Europe
is discussed
14 Open
16 Test 1
Assignment: Bashiri 2016, pp.
61-73.
19 The Indo-European Background of Iranian
peoples
Assignment: Bashiri 2016, pp.
15-49; Bashiri, The Role of Farr in Firdowsi's
Shahname
21 Discussion of the role of Farr as the
mainstay of Iranian government
Assignment:
Grimal, pp. 97-110; Bashiri
2016, pp. 5-12.
23 The Greco-Roman and Iranian accounts of
creation
Assignment: Bashiri, "The
Ahuric Order and the Platonic Form"; Bashiri 2014, pp. 6-53.
26 The Greek World: the Presocratics
Assignment: Bashiri 2014 pp. 54-79
28 Islamic intellectual heritage: al-Kindi and al-Razi
Assignment: Bashiri 2014, pp. 80-97;
Khalili, pp. 35-48, 223-251, 241-251
March
2 Islamic intellectual heritage: East Meets West
5 Islamic intellectual heritage: Opposition to Philosophy
7 Oral Reports II
9 Oral Reports II
Assignment: Bashiri 2014, pp.
98-123
12-16 Spring Break
19 Islamic intellectual heritage: "Al-Gazzali"
Assignment: The Republic of Plato
Assignment: Utopia (Pt II)
23 Discussion of More's
Utopia
Study Guide II posted
Assignment: Animal Farm
26 Discussion of Orwell's "Animal
Farm"
28 Animal Farm documentary
30 Open
April
2 Test 2
Assignment: Landen,
pp. 174-177; 253-257.
4 Discovery of Oil in the Middle East;
Assignment: Landen,
pp. 3-49; Mansfield, pp. 167-219
6 The Middle East in World War I
Assignment: Bashiri, Jamal al-Din
al-Afghani; Ayubi, pp. 158-162; Sullivan,
pp. 162-167.
9 The Rise of Muslim Brotherhood
Assignment: Bashiri 2017, pp.
173-186
11 Soviet and American Activities in Iran
Assignment: Bashiri, Afghanistan:
An Overview
13 Communist Movement in Afghanistan; Rise and
fall of the Taliban
Assignment: Ismael (1982), pp. 1-41;
Bashiri, Muslims and
Communists Vie for Power in Tajikistan
16 Communism in the Muslim republics of the
former Soviet Union
Assignment:
18 Oral Reports III
20 Oral Reports III
23 Class
Discussion
25 Roots of Terror; "The Battle of
Algiers"
Assignment:
27 Radical Islam
Assignment: Bashiri 2017, pp.
277-306
Book Report is due
30 The Islamists
Assignment:
May
2 Arab Spring
4 General Discussion; Evaluate
Course
Final Papers due
Final Exam (Test Three)
The
Final Exam will be on Friday, May 11, 2018, 8:00-10:00
a.m.
Assignments
There
will be three tests, one book report, one oral report, and one paper.
Attendance and active participation also carry points.
Observation:
note that frequent absences affect both your ability to do well on tests and
your points for participation.
Book Report (2 pages, double-spaced)
Any book on Islam, the
West, or the interactions among Islamic and Western ideologies is acceptable.
If not chosen from the approved
book list, the book for the book report must have the instructor's
approval. The book report is due on April 27, 2018.
It carries 10 points. Look at Guidelines
for Writing Book Reports for further
information.
Tests
There
will be three tests. The dates for the tests are geared to the completion of
the sections of the course devoted to each main topic. The exams will cover
classroom discussions, reading assignments, and oral reports. There will be
no make-up tests. Exceptions will be made for hardship cases on an
individual basis. The instructor should be informed of the reason for not
taking the test in advance. The first test carries 10 points, test two carries
12 points, and test three 15 points. The tests altogether are worth 37 points.
Oral Report
Each student participates in the
gathering and delivering of information for one oral report. The topics for
reports are assigned early in the course.
Oral Report Presentation:
You can present your report without
or with PowerPoint.
1.
Without
PowerPoint:
After
delivery, turn in the text of the report to the instructor. It should be about
2 pages double-spaced
2.
With
PowerPoint:
a) If the PowerPoint presentation is comprehensive--8 to
10 slides with full discussion accompanying each slide, illustrations, etc.,
and bibliography at the end (last slide) that is sufficient.
b) If you have 8-10 slides + oral notes--turn in the slides
and the full text of the notes used for each slide.
Oral Reports are delivered on the day assigned. After the
presentation, the text of the report is emailed by the instructor to students for
the next test. Students are responsible for knowing the contents of all reports
given before a test. The oral report is graded for the quality of its overall
contribution to the class, delivery, and impact. The student must be ready to
answer related questions asked by the class or the instructor. Failure to
participate at the time assigned results in the loss of 5 points. Failure to
provide final copy of your report for distribution to the class results in the
loss of the rest of the points. The oral report carries 15 points. Look
at Guidelines
for Oral Reports for further information.
Note 1: The time
limit for oral presentations is 10 minutes. After presentation, the full report
must be submitted for distribution.
Note 2: If you use
PowerPoint for your presentation, you MUST email it to me two
days before the presentation date.
Final Paper
The paper should be 10 pages double-spaced, hard copy, and
presentable. It should deal with aspects of Islam and its interaction with the
cultures of the West. The paper should include an introduction, a reasonable
development of the topic proposed, and a clear indication of diligent research.
Look at Guidelines
for Writing Papers for information on writing the paper. The paper must
be submitted in hard copy and is due on May 4, 2018. The paper
carries 30 points as follows:
Aspects
of paper |
#
of points |
presentability
|
1
|
relevance
and originality |
6
|
introduction
|
3
|
structure |
4
|
content
|
8
|
conclusion
|
3
|
footnotes
& bibliography |
5
|
Total
|
30 |
Attendance
Attendance
is taken by passing a roster to be legibly signed. Each absence is worth half a
point. Remember to sign the attendance sheet as it circulates. If you are late,
make sure to sign it at the end of class. Attendance carries 3 points.
Participation
Active
participation in discussions carries 5 points.
Grading Scale:
4.0 scale |
Grade |
% |
4.0 |
A |
93-100 |
3.667 |
A- |
84-92 |
3.333 |
B+ |
76-83 |
3.000 |
B |
68-75 |
2.667 |
B- |
59-67 |
2.333 |
C+/S |
49-58 |
2.000 |
C/S |
43-50 |
1.667 |
C-/S |
34-42 |
1.333 |
D+ |
26-33 |
1.0 |
D |
25 |
Note on Readings:
To be purchased:
Bashiri, Iraj. Modern Iran: Caliphs, Kings,
and Jurisprudents, Cognella Publishers, 2017. (required)
Bashiri, Modern Iranian Philosophy:
From Ibn Sina to Mulla Sadra Shirazi,
Cognella, 2014. (optional)
Bashiri, Ancient Iran: Cosmology,
Mythology, History, 2nd edition, Cognella,
2016 (optional)
Hunter,
Shireen, Islam, Europe's Second Religion: The New Social, Cultural, and
Political Landscape
Free books available online:
More,
Sir Thomas, Utopia (http://www.fullbooks.com/Utopia1.html)
Plato The
Republic of Plato (http://www.fullbooks.com/Plato-s-Republic.html)
Orwell,
George, Animal Farm (http://www.george-orwell.org/Animal_Farm/index.html)
The following readings are available on E-reserve at Wilson Library:
The following readings are available on reserve at Wilson Library:
The following readings are from the general collection at Wilson
Library:
1. Jihad:
The Rise of Militant Islam in Central Asia, Yale University Press.
2. Ali,
Tariq (2000). The Clash of Fundamentalisms: Crusades, Jihads and Modernity,
Verso, 2002.
3. Chambers,
James (1979). The Devil's Horsemen: The Mongol Invasion of Europe, Oxford
University Press.
4. Hiro, Dilip. (1994 &
1995). Between Marx and Muhamad: The Changing Face
of Central Asia, Harper Collins Publishers.
5. Ismael, Tareq,
and Jacqueline S. Ismael (1985). Government and
Politics in Islam, St. Martin's Press.
6. Lewis,
Bernard (2002). What Went Wrong?, Oxford UniversityPress.
7. Marx,
Karl and Friedrich Engels. The Communist Manifesto, with an Introduction
by A.J.P. Taylor, Penguin Classics, 1967.
8. Said,
Edward W. (1978). Orientalism, Vintage
Books.