Core Culture:  Middle East

 

This course is a multi-disciplinary introduction both to the region conventionally referred to as the Middle East, and also to the academic discipline of Middle Eastern Studies.  In other words, it is as much a study of the people, region, religion, history, and culture of the region as it is about the politics of studying that region.   One of the presuppositions that I have in this course is that a careful, rigorous, and critical study of cultural studies can help one understand one's own assumptions, presuppositions, etc.  

 

This course is far more rigorous than many of the core culture courses.  That is reflected in both the quantity and the level of the assigned readings.  Furthermore, the entire method of evaluation is based on a communal discussion of the readings.  In short, your performance in this course will depend on completing the readings, and being prepared to discuss and analyze them verbally in class.   The requirements are spelled out below the syllabus.

 

 

 

Required texts:

1.  Muhammad Asad, The Road to Mecca

2.  Leila Ahmed, Women and Gender in Islam

3.  Maria Rosa Menocal, Ornament of the World

4.   Amin Maalouf, The Crusades Through Arab Eyes

5.  Ross E. Dunn, The Adventures of Ibn Battuta

6.  Fadiman and Frager, Essential Sufism

7.  Edward Said, Culture and Imperialism

8.   Emran Qureshi and Michael A. Sells, The New Crusades:  Constructing the Muslim Enemy

 

 

Reading Syllabus:

 

 

January 19 -      M      First Day: Special schedule for 20 minute meetings for all classes.  

           

January 20        T          Muhammad Asad, The Road to Mecca, 1-67.

 

January 22        R         Muhammad Asad, The Road to Mecca, 68-182

 

January 27        T          Muhammad Asad, The Road to Mecca, 183-281

 

January 29        R           Muhammad Asad, The Road to Mecca, 282-375

 

February 3        T          Leila Ahmed, Women and Gender in Islam, 1-101

 

February 5        R          Documentary on Leila Ahmed in class.

 

February 10      T          Leila Ahmed, Women and Gender in Islam, 102-168

 

February 12      R          Leila Ahmed, Women and Gender in Islam, 169-248

 

February 17      T          Maria Rosa Menocal, The Ornament of the World, xi-100

 

February 19      R          Maria Rosa Menocal, The Ornament of the World, 101-200

 

                        February 23      M               Amina Wadud, 4:30, 27 Persson Aud.

 

February 24      T          Maria Rosa Menocal, The Ornament of the World, 201-198.

 

February 26      R          Amin Maalouf, The Crusades Through Arab Eyes, 1-81.

 

March 2            T          Amin Maalouf, The Crusades Through Arab Eyes, 82-200.

 

                                    March 2nd, Tuesday  Maria Rosa Menocal lecture, 4:30 pm, 27 Persson Aud.

 

 

March 4            R          Amin Maalouf, The Crusades Through Arab Eyes, 200-266.

 

March 9            T          Ross E. Dunn, The Adventures of Ibn Battuta, 1-105.

 

 

March 11          R          Ross E. Dunn, The Adventures of Ibn Battuta,106-212.
 

Core Middle East midterm:

 

Use all of the books, if possible, in answering the questions.  Make sure that the volumes by Menocal, Maalouf, Asad, and Ibn Battuta, and Leila Ahmed, are all specifically sited at least once.  Use in text citations (Leila Ahmed, Women and Gender in Islam, p. 242) or footnotes.   typed, double spaced, use Times New Roman font size 12.  Staple the exam, put page numbers at the center bottom, and put your name and section number on top.

 

1)  Spend three pages on this question:   One of the persistent themes in this class so far as been the thorny issue of how to sort out multi-faceted, multi-linguistic, multi-religious, multi-ethnic identities.   I want you to critically reflect on how and why one can-and can not-refer to the region, people, and traditions that we are studying in each of the following terms:   Arabic, Middle Eastern, Islamic.   Then, make your own informed contribution by making a succinct argument for one of the above terms, or even better, suggest your own and present a case for how it is a more adequate and fair term to cover the multi-faceted phenomenon we have been discussing.

 

 

2)  spend five-six pages on this question:   In the medieval context, the issue of how much to privilege religion as a source and center of identity is a controversial one.   Focus on the interactions between the people we are studying and "Europeans".  Focus on the time period from 10th to 13th century.  In what situations do religious fanaticism or exclusivism manifest themselves inside Muslim, Jewish, and Christian communities?  Give examples of concrete situations when this takes place. 

 

At the same time, we have spent a good bit of time focusing on situations where the boundaries among various communities are more fluid, and situations of co-existence, and indeed cross-pollination and exchange of goods, ideas, and even material/military forces take place.  Point out concrete examples again from all Muslim, Jewish, and Christian contexts, and also Europe/"Franks" when these concrete situations take place.  Use examples from philosophical, poetic, architectural, mercantile, and military contexts.

 

 

March 13-21     Mid Term Recess

 

March 23          T          No class today, instead read up and midterm. 

 

 

March 25          R      Ross E. Dunn, The Adventures of Ibn Battuta,213-320 (browse).
Sa'diyya Shaikh lecture at 4 pm in 105 Lawrence.  Mandatory.
 

March 29th:          Mandatory lecture by Mark Levine on Iraq, at 12:15. 
Brown Bag lunch (get fed for free!).  Women's Study Center. 

 

*Extra credit event at 7 pm, Panel Discussion: The Future of Iraq and Implications for the Future of the Middle East

Date: 3/29/2004; Time: 7:00PM-9:00PM

Location: Love Auditorium, Olin Hall
 

 

March 30          T          James Fadiman and Robert Frager, Essential Sufism, 1-147.

 

April 1              R          James Fadiman and Robert Frager, Essential Sufism, 148-256.

 

 

April 6              T   start your reading of Said, Culture and Imperialism.        
 Instead of class today, come to the following mandatory lecture: 
"Two Contemporary Trends in Islamic Political Thought: Modernism and Fundamentalism."

                                Dr. Ahmad Moussalli, Lebanese political scientist from the American University in Beirut.
                                This is an unusual opportunity to speak directly with a prominent thinker from the Arab world about Islam, contemporary politics, and other issues.  

                                        Time 4:00pm-6:00pm
                                        Location 217 Lathrop Hall

 

April 8              R          video from Said on Orientalism.  catch up on readings, and get ahead.

 

April 13            T          Edward Said, Culture and Imperialism, 1-190.

 

April 15            R          Edward Said, Culture and Imperialism, 191-336 (focus on 282-336).

 

April 20            T          no class today.  Instead, read Emran Qureshi and Michael Sells, The New Crusades, tba

 

April 22            R          Bernard Lewis, “Roots of Muslim Rage”, part 1; part 2.

                                    Bernard Lewis, “What Went Wrong?”

                                    Samuel Huntington, “Clash of Civilizations?”

 

April 27            T          Emran Qureshi and Michael Sells, The New Crusades, 1-201; focus on introduction by Qureshi and Sells, Said, Trumpbour, and Motahedeh

 

April 29            R          Emran Qureshi and Michael Sells, The New Crusades, , 201-end of book. 

 

           

 

May 1 and 2      Review Period

May 3 and 4      Examination Period

May 5               Review Day

May 6 and 7      Examination Period

 

Senior Grades Due May 10

All other grades due May 17

 

 

Grade to be based on:

This is not a class for passive listeners.

Almost every day we will be analyzing and discussing the readings and web pages. Our aim is to decipher their rhetoric, and understand their argument vis-à-vis other positions.

It will be impossible for you to participate in the discussions if you have not done the readings before coming to class. This will hurt your class participation grade.

The assignments are due on the days which have been identified, and turning them in late will lead to a deduction in your grade.

Breakdown of Grades:

"Talking points"/Discussion board plus in-class ACTIVE discussion 30%

Map exercise 5%

Midterm: 30%

Final exam 35%

 

A note on "Talking points" and Class participation:

This course can only be successful if we have daily, active discussions. That will only happen if you have spent time before coming to class pondering over the readings. To aid you in this, you are are asked to bring a focused "talking point" (one single spaced page) to every class. A talking point is a form of dialogue between you and the readings: that is to say, reflections and queries you are prepared to share with a classmate and/or with the instructor. Your daily "talking points" will play a considerable role in shaping the day's discussion. Every talking point must contain 2-3 written questions to be asked in class. The talking points, which will be first exchanged with your colleagues and then gathered by me, count for 30% of your final grade.

I leave it up to you to decide how you will engage the text in your talking point:

*reflect on an idea you found interesting or intriguing in the readings,
*discuss who the various readings complement or differ from one another,
*explore the implications of a particular idea,
*compare to another work we've studied,
*trace how the work speaks to a theme we encountered earlier.

Here are the standards for each grade:

A
Superb, Excellent. An ability to offer original and insightful analysis of the facts.

B
Solid Work. The facts have been grasped, and significant moves have been made to interpret the material in an analytical fashion.

C
The student has made a reasonable attempt to attend the class, and has a fair grasp of the factual material presented. The analysis of these facts, and an attempt to contribute towards an original interpretation, however, is severely missing.

D
A simplistic familiarity with the subject mater can be gleamed through the assignments which have been turned in.

F
A disappointment—no attempt being shown on the behalf of the student to engage the material, to respect the parameters of the class and its schedule, or the turning in of assignment.