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Islam and Politics: Interfaith Relations (ISLM90008)
Graduate courseworkPoints: 12.5Not available in 2024
About this subject
Overview
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What is the intersection of Islam, politics and interfaith relations? This is a common theme in explorations of Islam and its role in the modern world. This subject explores how different Muslim communities and states, both in the past and present, have developed concepts, rules and understandings to engage with people of other faiths, and created societies that had a high degree of tolerance, if not acceptance, of the religious ‘Other’. It achieves this with a focus on the study of primary texts of Islam, agreements and charters as well as specific laws relevant to the regulation of inter-religious matters.
The subject surveys several historical periods and Muslim communities from the time of early Islam to the present day, with a particular focus on the Middle East. It considers how Muslim states responded to other religious traditions and communities in the past—during the early days of Islam and in the classical period—before exploring how Muslim-majority states engage with religious minorities today, including the rights and freedoms of religious minorities and contested notions of citizenship. It also considers religious diversity within Muslim communities and how different trends in Islamic thought respond to that.
Intended learning outcomes
Students who successfully complete this subject should:
- Gain a critical understanding of religious pluralism and conceptions of the religious 'other' in Islam, with a particular focus on contemporary issues such as citizenship, religious freedom, and interfaith harmony
- Be able to assess the dynamics of the relationship between Islam and politics in Muslim-majority and Muslim-minority contexts with particular reference to its impact on interreligious relationships
- Demonstrate a nuanced understanding of the factors that have led to cohesive Muslim societies in the past, and those that promote interreligious harmony or have the potential to cause conflict today
- Demonstrate an ability to analyse current literature on Islam and Muslim-non-Muslim relations
- Be able to articulate, with evidence from Islamic tradition, an 'Islamic' understanding of religious pluralism.
Generic skills
Students who successfully complete this subject should have:
- A deeper understanding of the basic ideological tenets and historical roots of Islamic radicalism and the global context within which it has emerged
- An appreciation of the diversity within Islam in relation to the above
- A deeper appreciation and improved ability to analyse the literature on Islam and politics – with reference to ‘clash of civilisations’
- Improved oral skills by participating in seminars
- Improved writing skills by producing a well-researched paper
Last updated: 12 November 2024