Courses of Study
Sections
An interdepartmental program in Islamic and Middle Eastern Studies
Last updated: August 28, 2009 at 11:16 a.m.
(Near Eastern and Judaic Studies)
Shai Feldman
(Politics)
Nader Habibi
(Economics
(Near Eastern and Judaic Studies)
Kanan Makiya
(Near Eastern and Judaic Studies)
Ilan Troen
(Near Eastern and Judaic Studies)
Carl Sharif El-Tobgui, Director of Arabic Language
(Near Eastern and Judaic Studies)
Jonathan Decter
(Near Eastern and Judaic Studies)
Gordon Fellman
(Sociology)
Abdel Monem Said Aly
(Crown Center for Middle East Studies)
Wellington Nyangoni
(African and Afro-American Studies)
Khalil Shikaki
(Crown Center for Middle East Studies)
Naghmeh Sohrabi
(Crown Center for Middle East Studies)
Ibrahim Sundiata
(African and Afro-American Studies; History)
Ilana Szobel
(Near Eastern and Judaic Studies)
B. Core course: IMES 104a (Islam: Civilization and Institutions).
C. At least one course pertaining to the classical period: ARBC 103a and b, FA 39b, NEJS 144a, 197a, 188a, 186a, 190b, 191a, 196a.
D. At least one course pertaining to the modern period: ANTH 133a, NEJS 145a, 185b, 187a, 187b, 188b, 189a, 190a, 192a, 193a, 194a, 195a, 197b, 198b, POL 133a, 134a, 164a, 169b, 170a, SOC 157a, WMGS 140a, 195b.
E. Two additional courses from the list of electives below.
B. Core course: IMES 104a (Islam: Civilization and Institutions).
C. Two courses pertaining to the classical period: ARBC 103a and b, FA 39b, NEJS 144a, 197a, 188a, 186a, 190b, 191a, 196a.
D. Two courses pertaining to the modern period: ANTH 133a, NEJS 145a, 185b, 187a, 187b, 188b, 189a, 190a, 192a, 193a, 194a, 195a, 197b, 198b, POL 133a, 134a, 164a, 169b, 170a, SOC 157a, WMGS 140a, 195b.
E. Three additional courses from the list of electives below.
Brandeis undergraduates who are NEJS or IMES majors with either a second major in WMGS or a minor in WMGS are invited in their senior year to apply for admission to the BA/MA joint degree in Near Eastern and Judaic Studies & Women's and Gender Studies. Students must complete all requirements and earn the BA, including the successful completion of the major in NEJS or IMES prior to the start of the one year master's program.
Program of Study
Fourteen courses are required:
A. Internal transfer credit: seven Brandeis undergraduate courses (NEJS, IMES, WMGS, and/or approved cross listed courses) numbered 100 or above for which grades of B- or higher have been earned.
B. Seven courses taken in the fifth year: four approved NEJS electives and three WMGS courses approved by the program adviser. Between the BA and the MA the following WMGS courses must be completed: a course in feminist research methodologies (WMGS 198a, the feminist inquiry course offered through the Graduate Consortium in Women’s Studies, or an alternative), WMGS 205a or another course designated as a graduate foundational course in women’s and gender studies, and two elective courses in WMGS, one inside and one outside the NEJS department.
C. Successful completion of one of the following: a comprehensive examination, a culminating project or a master’s thesis. If a master’s thesis encompasses both a NEJS and a WMGS component it will satisfy requirement E below.
D. Participation in a fall semester noncredit Women’s and Gender Studies Graduate Proseminar.
E. Joint MA paper requirement: Completion of a master’s research paper of professional quality and length (normally twenty-five to forty pages) on a topic related to the joint degree. The paper will be read by two faculty members, one of whom is a member of the Near Eastern and Judaic Studies department, and one of whom is a member of the women’s and gender studies core or affiliate faculty.
Resident Requirement
One year of full-time residence (the fifth year) is required subsequent to completing the BA.
Language Requirement
All candidates are required to demonstrate proficiency in Biblical or Modern Hebrew or in Arabic.
Courses of Instruction
(1-99) Primarily for Undergraduate Students
IMES
92a
Internship
Staff
IMES
98a
Independent Study
Usually offered every year.
Staff
IMES
98b
Independent Study
Usually offered every year.
Staff
IMES
99d
Senior Research
Usually offered every year.
Staff
(100-199) For Both Undergraduate and Graduate Students
IMES
104a
Islam: Civilization and Institutions
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Provides a disciplined study of Islamic civilization from its origins to the current state of affairs. Approaches the study from a humanities perspective. Topics covered will include the Qur'an, tradition, law, theology, politics, Islam and other religions, modern developments, women in Islam, and Islam and Middle Eastern politics. Usually offered every second year.
Staff
IMES
105a
War and Revolution in the Middle East
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hum
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Considers the impact of war and revolution in the shaping of the modern Middle East starting with the Arab-Israeli war of 1967. Focuses on the violent turning points that have changed the lives of millions of people.
Mr. Makiya
IMES Elective Courses
The following courses are approved for the program. Not all are given in any one year. Please consult the Schedule of Classes each semester.
AAAS
80a
Economy and Society in Africa
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Perspectives on the interaction of economic and other variables in African societies. Topics include the ethical and economic bases of distributive justice; models of social theory, efficiency, and equality in law; the role of economic variables in the theory of history; and world systems analysis. Usually offered every third year.
Mr. Nyangoni
AAAS
126b
Political Economy of the Third World
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Development of capitalism and different roles and functions assigned to all "Third Worlds," in the periphery as well as the center. Special attention will be paid to African and Afro-American peripheries. Usually offered every year.
Mr. Nyangoni
AAAS
163b
Africa in World Politics
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nw
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Explores the impact of African states in world affairs; the African and Afro-Asian groups in the United Nations; relations with Eastern Europe, Western Europe, and the Americas; the Afro-Asian movement; nonalignment; the Organization of African Unity; and Pan-Africanism. Usually offered every second year.
Mr. Nyangoni
AAAS
175a
Comparative Politics of North Africa
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nw
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Explores the formation and development of political cleavages and cleavage systems, and of mass-based political groups, analyzing the expansion of mass political participation, elections, the impact of the military on political groups, and international factors. Usually offered every third year.
Mr. Nyangoni
ANTH
80a
Anthropology of Religion
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nw
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An introduction to the anthropological study of human religious experience, with particular emphasis on religious and ritual practice in comparative perspective. Examines the relationship between religion and society in small-scale, non-Western contexts as well as in complex societies, global cultures, and world historical religions. Usually offered every second year.
Ms. Lamb or Ms. Schattschneider
ANTH
118b
Peoples and Societies of the Middle East
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ss
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An anthropological introduction to the peoples and societies of the Middle East. Focuses on Islam, family and kinship, communal identities, gender, and youth culture. Reading critical ethnographies develops sensitivities in understanding the variety of experiences in the Middle East. Usually offered every fourth year.
Staff
ANTH
135a
The Sanctification of Space in Contemporary Israel
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ss
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Explores the myriad ways in which the "idea of the holy" is imprinted on the land in contemporary Israel. Case studies are used (including the commemoration of national death and the Holocaust, the Zionist pantheon at Mount Herzl, museums as sacred sites, Jewish-Moroccan saint veneration) to analyze processes of successful and abortive sanctification, highlight the role of agents of memory in contested cases, and discuss broader political and socio-cultural contexts. Special one-time offering, fall 2009.
Mr. Bilu
ARBC
103a
Advanced Literary Arabic I
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Prerequisite: ARBC 40b or the equivalent. Three class-hours per week.
Designed to help the student attain an advanced reading proficiency. The syllabus includes selections from classical and modern texts representing a variety of styles and genres. Usually offered every year.
Staff
ARBC
103b
Advanced Literary Arabic II
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fl
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Prerequisite: ARBC 103a or the equivalent. Three class-hours per week.
Continuation of ARBC 103a. Usually offered every year.
Staff
ARBC
106a
Fourth Level Advanced Arabic I
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Prerequisite: ARBC 103b. Three class-hours per week.
Develops advanced competence in reading, writing, speaking and understanding Modern Standard Arabic, in addition to a thorough mastery of grammar. Covers various genres of texts on topics ranging from Arabic literature, history and culture to contemporary Arabic politics and society. Usually offered every year.
Mr. Shabaka
ARBC
106b
Fouth Level Advanced Arabic II
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fl
hum
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Prerequisite: ARBC 106a or permission of the instructor. Three class-hours per week.
Continuation of ARBC 106a. Usually offered every year.
Mr. Shabaka
ENG
197b
Within the Veil: African-American and Muslim Women's Writing
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hum
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In twentieth-century United States culture, the veil has become a powerful metaphor, signifying initially the interior of African-American community and the lives of Muslims globally. This course investigates issues of identity, imperialism, cultural loyalty, and spirituality by looking at and linking contemporary writing by African-American and Muslim women. Usually offered every third year.
Ms. Abdur-Rahman
FA
39b
Islamic Art and Architecture
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ca
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Introduces architecture and arts of the Islamic lands from seventh-century Levant to post-modernism in Iran, India, and the Gulf states. Provides an overview of major themes and regional variations, and their socio-political and historical context. Usually offered every third year.
Staff
FA
153a
Israeli Art
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ca
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An examination of the visual arts created in Israel since the beginning of the twentieth century. Combines a chronological overview of major trends with an in-depth examination of select case studies of individual artists and specific themes.
Ms. Ankori
FYS
24b
The Howl of Simple Words: Reading Gender in Israeli Literature and Cinema
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hum
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The poet Rachel Bluwstein describes her poetics as "the howl of simple words." With these words she exposes the normative expectation of women's writing at the beginning of the century, on the one hand, and the subversive potential that lies in women's creativity, on the other. This seminar explores this ongoing duality in Modern Hebrew literature and Israeli cinema.
Ms. Szobel (Near Eastern and Judaic Studies)
HIST
148b
Central Asia in Modern Times
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nw
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Surveys the modern history of Central Asia, emphasizing the twentieth century and contemporary history; it gives particular attention to the processes of colonialization and modernization and their impact on the traditional social order and Islamic religious life. Usually offered every year.
Mr. Freeze
HIST
178a
Middle Eastern Encounters with Europe in the Nineteenth Century
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Examines Middle Eastern travel to Europe in the nineteenth century. Topics include: the city, the transfer of knowledge, spectacles and world fairs, gender and sexuality, notions of sovereignty, and the immigrant experience. Usually offered every second year.
Ms. Sohrabi
NEJS
104a
Comparative Semitic Languages
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hum
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An introduction to and description of the Semitic languages, the internal relationships within this linguistic family, and the distinctive grammatical and lexical features of the individual languages. Usually offered every third year.
Mr. Wright
NEJS
177a
The Holocaust in Jewish Literature
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hum
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A broad survey of Holocaust writings in Modern Hebrew literature. Examines the psychological, social, moral, and aesthetic challenges involved in representing the Holocaust in Israeli context through literary texts, theoretical research, works of art, and film. Usually offered every third year.
Ms. Szobel
NEJS
178a
Love, Sex, and Power in Israeli Culture
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hum
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Taught in Hebrew. Prerequisite: HBRW 141a, 143a, 144a, or 146a or permission of the instructor.
Explores questions of romance, gender, marriage, and jealousy in the Israeli context by offering a feminist and psychoanalytic reading of Hebrew texts, works of art, and film. Usually offered every third year.
Ms. Szobel
NEJS
185a
Topics in Israeli Social and Political History
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hum
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Focuses on key topics in the shaping of the Israeli experience, including Zionist colonization; absorption of immigrants; shaping Jewish identity, personal and national, in a secular sense; and homeland/Diaspora relations. Comparative perspectives are employed. Usually offered every second year.
Mr. Troen
NEJS
190a
Describing Cruelty
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wi
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Grapples with the difficult subject of cruelty. Focus is on political or public cruelty in the non-Western world. The method is comparative and involves critical examination of the intellectual, visual, and literary works that engage in the phenomenon. Usually offered every second year.
Mr. Makiya
NEJS
192a
War and Peace in Israeli Thought and Praxis
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hum
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Despite initial visions of a conflict-free process of settling Palestine, issues of war and peace became central to the Zionist experience. Course examines how Zionism, as an intellectual movement and a polity, has understood the conflict and coped with it. Usually offered every second year.
Mr. Troen
NEJS
253a
Zionism and Its Critics: Contested Visions of Jewish Nationalism
The modern articulation of collective Jewish experience in terms of a nation has taken on a variety of competing forms. Places the development of Jewish nationalist visions into historical context and studies the different strands of cultural, religious, and political Zionism, as well as several non-Zionist forms such as Bundism and autonomism. Usually offered every second year.
Mr. Sheppard
NEJS
285a
Social History of the Middle East
Explores the major social transformations that have marked Middle Eastern history in the nineteenth and twentieth centuries. The discussion covers such topics as tribal settlement, the village community, land reform, the Islamic city, urbanization, modernization and modernity, the family, the concept of "class," and the position of women. Usually offered every second year.
Staff
NEJS
287a
Seminar on Nationalism and Religion in the Middle East
Examines major issues in the development of nationalism and its interaction with religion in the Arab countries, Israel, Turkey, and Iran in the twentieth century. Topics vary from year to year. Usually offered every second year.
Mr. Levy
NEJS
289a
Seminar: States and Minorities in the Middle East
Examines major issues in the relations between the state and ethnic and religious minorities in the Arab countries, Israel, Turkey, and Iran in the twentieth century. Topics vary from year to year. Usually offered every second year.
Mr. Levy
NEJS
291a
History and Memory in the Middle East
Prerequisite: NEJS 185a or the equivalent.
Explores some of the ways in which Middle Eastern writers (Arabs and Israelis) have treated major episodes and foundation myths in the twentieth century. Our focus will be on the development of collective memories and the appearance of revisionist studies that challenge earlier accounts of history. Usually offered every second year.
Staff
POL
128a
The Politics of Revolution: State Violence and Popular Insurgency in the Third World
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Introduction to twentieth-century revolutionary movements in the Third World, focusing on the emergence of peasant-based resistance and revolution in the world beyond the West, and on the role of state violence in provoking popular involvement in protest, rebellion, and insurgency. Usually offered every year.
Mr. Thaxton
POL
164a
Conflict and Peacemaking in the Middle East
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ss
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Evolution of the Arab-Israeli conflict and the efforts to resolve it. Focuses on key documents and developments with particular emphasis on the Palestinian-Israeli dimension, and the different narratives adopted by the parties on the conflict. Usually offered every third year.
Mr. Feldman
POL
166b
Seminar: The Middle East in International Relations
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ss
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Prerequisite: POL 15a or equivalent.
Explores how the concepts, theories, and paradigms from the field of International Relations can be used to understand the politics of the Middle East. usually offered every second year.
Mr. Feldman
POL
169b
U.S. Policy in the Middle East
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ss
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Provides students with an understanding of the evolution of U.S. policy in the Middle East and the manner in which the local parties have perceived it. Usually offered every year.
Mr. Feldman
POL
170a
Arms Control in the Middle East
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ss
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Explores and analyzes the theories behind, dynamics within, and problems encountered with arms control as part of regional security in the Middle East. Usually offered every year.
Mr. Feldman
POL
177b
National Security Strategy: The Case of Israel
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ss
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Examines key concepts in national security studies and accesses their relevance to Israel's pursuit of national security. Evaluates the extent to which Israel's strategy is typical of small states facing numerically superior neighbors. Usually offered every second year.
Mr. Feldman
SOC
119a
War and Possibilities of Peace
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ss
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Ponders the possibility of a major "paradigm shift" under way from adversarialism and war to mutuality and peace. Examines war culture and peace culture and points in between, with emphases on the role of imagination in social change, growing global interdependence, and political, economic, gender, social class, and social psychological aspects of war and peace. Usually offered every year.
Mr. Fellman
WMGS
140a
Diversity of Muslim Women's Experience
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ss
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A broad introduction to the multidimensional nature of women's experiences in the Muslim world. As both a cultural and religious element in this vast region, understanding Islam in relation to lives of women has become increasingly imperative. Usually offered every second year.
Ms. Shavarini
IMES Elective Courses: Modern Period
ECON
122b
The Economics of the Middle East
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Prerequisite: ECON 2a or the equivalent. Does not count toward the upper-level elective requirement for the major in economics.
Examines the Middle East economies--past experiences, present situation, and future challenges--drawing on theories, policy formulations and empirical studies of economic growth, trade, poverty, income distribution, labor markets, finance and banking, government reforms, globalization, and Arab-Israeli political economy. Usually offered every year.
Mr. Habibi
HIST
111a
History of the Modern Middle East
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ss
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An examination of the history of the Middle East from the nineteenth century to contemporary times. Focuses on political events and intellectual trends, such as imperialism, modernity, nationalism, and revolution, that have shaped the region in the modern era. Usually offered every second year.
Ms. Sohrabi
HIST
111b
The Iranian Revolution: From Monarchy to the Islamic Republic
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ss
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An examination of the roots of the Iranian revolution of 1979, the formation of the Islamic Republic, and its evolution over the past 30 years. Usually offered every second year.
Ms. Sohrabi
NEJS
145a
History of the State of Israel
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hum
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Examines the development of the State of Israel from its foundation to the present time. Israel's politics, society, and culture will be thematically analyzed. Usually offered every fourth year.
Mr. Troen
NEJS
185b
The Making of the Modern Middle East
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Open to all students.
Discusses the processes that led to the emergence of the modern Middle East: disintegration of Islamic society, European colonialism, reform and reaction, and the rise of nationalism and the modern states. Usually offered every second year.
Staff
NEJS
187a
Political Islam
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Traces the recent reemergence of Islam by examining its position in modern Middle Eastern socioeconomic and political life. Uses Egypt, Syria, Algeria, Afghanistan, and Iran as major test cases for assessing the success of political Islam. Usually offered every second year.
Staff
NEJS
188b
The Destruction of the Ottoman Empire, 1800-1923
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Examines the historical processes that led to the destruction of the Ottoman Empire and the rise of new nation-states in the Balkans and the Middle East: nationalism, European imperialism, and Ottoman reform and its ultimate failure. Usually offered every second year.
Mr. Levy
NEJS
193a
Societies in Conflict: Exploring the Middle East through Authentic Materials
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Prerequisites: A 30-level Hebrew and 30-level Arabic course.
An upper-level language course to help advanced learners of Hebrew and Arabic to deepen their understanding of the relationship between conflicting societies, Arab and Israeli, through implementation of their knowledge of the languages. Materials include excerpts from literature, film, and other media. Usually offered every year.
Ms. Ringvald and Staff
NEJS
194a
Civil Society in the Middle East
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Examines the concept of civil society and how it applies to the Middle East. Compares the Middle East to other world regions. Usually offered every fourth year.
Staff
NEJS
195a
Military and Politics in the Middle East
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Examines civil-military relations in the Middle East, including the Arab countries, Turkey, Iran, Pakistan, and Israel. Compares the Middle East to other world regions. Usually offered every fourth year.
Staff
NEJS
197b
Political Cultures of the Middle East
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Explores the way in which people make assumptions about power, authority, and justice. Focuses on Israel, Turkey, Iran, Lebanon, Syria, Egypt, and Iraq, explaining the nature of political power in these states. Usually offered every second year.
Mr. Makiya
NEJS
198b
Modern Islamic Thought: The Eighteenth Century through the Contemporary Era
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hum
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An analysis of major trends in Islamic thought -- Sunni, Shii, and Sufi -- beginning with eighteenth-century revival and reform and carrying through to the contemporary era, covering themes such as women and gender, democracy, pluralism, liberation, and jihad. Usually offered every second year.
Staff
POL
133a
Contemporary Politics in the Middle East
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Examines the Western impact on the Middle East state system, and the key challenges to the stability of these states and to the regional order. Topics include Arab nationalism; religion and minorities, the Arab-Israeli conflict and other issues. Usually offered every third year.
Mr. Rubin
POL
134a
Strategies of Islamic Political Activism in the Arab Middle East
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ss
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Islamic oriented, social and political movements in the Middle East politics, both violent and on-violent, ranging from the populist Muslim Brotherhood in Egypt to salafi-jihadist organizations such as Al-Qaeda. Particular attention to understanding developments since 9/11 and the war in Iraq. Usually offered every year.
Mr. Rubin
SOC
157a
Sociology of the Israeli-Palestinian Confrontation
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ss
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An introduction to Jewish and Palestinian nationalisms; relevant sociological, political, religious, and resource issues; social psychological dimensions; and the conflict in world politics. Usually offered every second year.
Mr. Fellman
IMES Elective Courses: Classical Period
NEJS
144a
Jews in the World of Islam
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hum
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A social and cultural history of Jewish communities in the Islamic world. Special emphasis is placed on the Jewish communities in the Middle East since 1492. Usually offered every second year.
Mr. Levy
NEJS
186a
Introduction to the Qur'an
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Traces the history of the Qur'an as text, its exegesis, and its role in inter-religious polemics, law, theology, and politics. Examines the role of the Qur'an in modern Islamic movements. Usually offered every second year.
Mr. Lumbard
NEJS
186b
The Quran: Composition, Collection, and Commentary
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hum
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Prerequisites: IMES 104a or NEJS 186a or permission of the instructor.
Examines the historical development and collection of the Quran, and the emergence of the different schools of Quranic commentary within various branches of Islam and the central themes upon which they focus. Emphasis is placed upon the guiding principles of Quranic commentary and the way in which they give rise to a hermeneutical tradition that is particular to Islam. Usually offered every second year.
Mr. Lumbard
NEJS
188a
The Rise and Decline of the Ottoman Empire, 1300-1800
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A historical survey of the Middle East from the establishment of the Ottoman Empire as the area's predominant power to 1800. Topics include Ottoman institutions and their transformation, and the Ottoman Empire as a world power. Usually offered every second year.
Mr. Levy
NEJS
190b
Islamic Philosophy
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hum
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An examination of the development and teachings of the Islamic philosophical tradition, covering its development from the Greek philosophical tradition and in response to Islamic teachings, and the relationship between Islamic philosophy and theology up to the Safavid period. Usually offered every second year.
Mr. Lumbard
NEJS
191a
Introduction to Islamic Theology
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hum
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An introduction to Islamic theology and intellectual tradition. After studying the formative period of the Prophet Mohammad's life, students examine the development of law, doctrines, beliefs, philosophy, and the diversity of thought in Islamic tradition. Usually offered every second year.
Staff
NEJS
194b
Sufi Teachings
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Prerequisite: IMES 104a or NEJS 186a or a course on Islam.
An examination of the teaching and practices of the Sufi tradition. Explores the foundations of Sufism, its relation to other aspects of Islam and the development of Sufi teachings in both poetry and prose. Usually offered every second year.
Mr. Lumbard
NEJS
196a
Marriage, Divorce, and Sexual Ethics in Islamic Law
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hum
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Using law to understand Islamic gender discourses and Muslim women's lives, the class addresses broad areas where law and gender intersect jurisprudential method and classical doctrines; women's use of courts to settle disputes; and contemporary debates over legal reforms. Usually offered every fourth year.
Staff
NEJS
197a
Survey of Islamic Law
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hum
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Explores the classical sources of the Islamic legal decision-making process and modern challenges to them. Examines cases of people on the margins, such as heretics, non-Muslims, and women, over different historical periods and geographical regions, to understand compatibility and incompatibles between abstract legal principles and historical realities. Usually offered every year.
Mr. Sisman