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Political Or Religious? Behrooz Moazami e-mail: [email protected] Loyola University New Orleans Office and office hours: Department of History Bobet-432, T, TR: 0200-03:15 PM Spring 2009: HIST-H295-033 and by appointment T 06:20-09:00PM, Bobet Hall 221 Tel: 504-865-2162 (to be transferred to the History Dept Conference Room, Bobet 445) Teaching Assistant: Nate Thacker ( [email protected] ) Writing Across the Curriculum office, Bobet 100, ext. 2297 (Mondays 10-11:30 am) and by appointment. SEMINAR ON VIOLENCE IN THE MIDDLE EAST: POLITICAL OR RELIGIOUS? This multi-disciplinary reading and writing intensive seminar ponders the ongoing violence in the Middle East by investigating the history and socio-political developments of the Middle East prior to and after the region’s intense interaction with West. The central puzzle is what has caused Middle Eastern recent history to be so volatile and what role, if any, religion plays in this ongoing violence. The seminar starts by studying some of the classical scholarly work on violence and its role in history before focusing on the region’s history of tolerance and violence. The seminar later focuses on two loci of violence in the very recent history: Palestine and Iraq. The seminar provides a forum for students to present their research on issues related to the genesis of violence in the Middle East. The seminar prepares students for the upcoming Students Conference on World Peace at Loyola in Spring 2009 (March 23-27). Service as an active organizer and participant in the conference will be counted as service learning and reflected in your transcript. Expected Student Learning Outcomes: • Students will be able show their capacity for intellectual and spiritual growth by becoming familiarized with the notion of violence as one of the most atrocious acts of human behavior. • Students will become familiarized with cultural, political, religious and socio-political developments leading to formation of a volatile region with immense implication for our today’s world. • Students will be able to make informed analytical arguments by making sense of the changing nature of religion and politics in the Middle East from a global perspective. • Students will show proficiency in the critical reading of influential scholarly monographs and develop skills in understanding the complexities of history by devolving in research, writing and presenting written and oral historical argumentations. Readings: The readings are chosen from the following books. Available at the Loyola Bookstore : Allawi, Ali (2008). The Occupation of Iraq: Winning the War, Losing the Peace . Yale University Press; Reprint edition. Arendt, Hannah (1970). On Violence . Harvest Books. Alternatively: http://www.cooperativeindividualism.org/arendt-hanna_reflections-on-violence.html Mishal Shaul & Avraham Sela (2006). The Palestinian Hamas: Vision, Violence, and Coexistence . New York: Columbia University Press. 1 Oulrd Mohamedou, Mohammad-Mahmoud (2006). Understanding Al Qaeda: The Transformation of War . London: Pluto Press. Pape, Robert (2006). Dying to Win: The Strategic Logic of Suicide Terrorism . Random House Trade Paperbacks. Taner , Akçam (2007). A Shameful Act: The Armenian Genocide and the Question of Turkish Responsibility . Holt Paperbacks Posted either as e-books or in digital format in blackboard: Masters, Bruce Alan (2001): Christians and Jews in the Ottoman Arab world: the Roots of Sectarianism . Cambridge; New York: Cambridge University Press. Sanasarian, Eliz (2000). Religious Minorities in Iran . Cambridge; New York: Cambridge University Press. Tilly, Charles (2003). The Politics of Collective Violence . Cambridge; New York: Cambridge University Press. Other readings are chosen from the following books (indicated by [Blackboard*] ) or through their URL in the schedule below: Cleveland, William L. 1994. A History of Modern Middle East . Colorado: Westview press. Engels, Fredrick. (1894: 1939 [1972]). Anti-Dühring-Herr Eugen Dühring Revolution in Science . New York: International Publishers Co., Inc. Lapidus, Ira M. 1998. A History of Islamic Societies. Cambridge; New York: Cambridge University Press. Requirements and grading: Position papers—1/4 of grade Students are required to prepare a two-page, double-spaced position paper for each session. These papers should present a) a summary of the contribution and arguments of the author, b) a critical evaluation of the readings, and c) a quality question for general discussion. I highly recommend use of abundant relevant literature (primary or secondary sources). These commentaries should be e-mailed simultaneously to me ( [email protected]) and to Nate Thacker ( [email protected] ) the class teaching assistant as Word or RTF documents, or PDF file no later than 5:00 PM the day before each class. These papers will be graded (I will not take into count the first two). Please insert your full name on the text and name the file with the course number + week number + your surname. (Example of student by the name of Smith for the next session: HIST-H295). No late position paper is accepted (Please see the policy on late papers below). Presentation and participation in class discussions—1/4 of grade The class will run in the seminar format and all students are responsible for class discussion. In each session (except the first three), two or three students will be responsible for presenting the assigned readings ( no more than 15 minutes each ). These presentations may be based on position papers (though I suggest you go beyond them), and should contain comments and questions for general discussion. I highly recommend use of power point and use of relevant primary sources for students’ presentations. Research proposal for the final paper—1/4 of grade 2 A research proposal will be due on March 10 (February 27, if you are presenting for the Students Conference). It should not be more than three pages long, and should contain a preliminary bibliography and a clear research agenda. Any topic related to the seminar may be chosen for research with the instructor’s approval. Students may choose to collaborate on research proposals and consequently the final papers (indeed, I encourage that), but the contribution of each person should be clear and approved from the outset. A guide for writing the research proposal and the final paper will be distributed on February 3 . The final paper— 1 /4 of grade The final paper should not exceed 15 pages (double-spaced, including full bibliography). It will be due on May 5 th. Attendance: More than three absences without proper justifications will lower the grade by one letter point. For example, if your overall work would have received an “A” for the course, it will be lowered to a “B+.” Late Work Policy: No late position papers will be accepted. More than two late position papers will be penalized a letter grade. Late research proposals and final papers will also be penalized a letter grade. For example, if your paper would have received an “A” on the deadline, the next day it will receive a “B+.” In exceptional circumstances the assignment can be rescheduled. You must notify me within 24 hours of the missed opportunity, stating the reason for your absence. If the excuse is acceptable, your make-up assignment will generally be scheduled for the earliest possible time. As a rule, I discourage any make-up assignments. Recreational activity never constitutes a valid excuse. Grading Scale: A 90-100 Excellent B+ 85-89.9 Very good B 80-84.9 Good C+ 75-79.9 Very satisfactory C 70-74.9 Satisfactory D+ 65-69.9 Minimal pass D 60-64.9 Minimal pass F below 60 Fail Notice to Students with Disabilities: A student with a disability who qualifies for accommodations should contact Sarah Mead Smith, Director of Disability Services at 865-2990 (Academic Resource Center, Room 405, Monroe Hall). A student wishing to receive test accommodations (e.g., extended test time) MUST provide the instructor with an official Accommodation Form from Disability Services in advance of the scheduled test date. Where to Find Help with your Writing: Nate Thacker ( [email protected] ) is the seminar teaching assistant and will help you in your writing. His office hours are on Mondays (10-11:30 am) and could be reached through Writing Across the Curriculum office, Bobet 100, ext. 2297. The WAC tutoring assistance is intended to help you with drafts of your essays. WAC is an extremely helpful and an excellent resource for students of all writing levels. In the Event of a Hurricane: In the event of a hurricane evacuation, I will post announcements and assignments to Blackboard. Please take your textbooks and any assignments you are working on with you when you evacuate. And stay in touch! Revision of the Syllabus: I reserve the right to revise this syllabus at any point once this course is in progress. I will inform students of any changes as soon as possible. 3 “Plagiarism —the use of another person’s ideas or wording without giving proper credit—results from the failure to document fully and accurately. Ideas and expressions of them are considered to belong to the individual who first puts them forward. Therefore, when you incorporate ideas or phrasing from any other author in your paper, whether you quote them directly or indirectly, you need to be honest and complete about indicating the source to avoid plagiarism. Whether intentional or unintentional, plagiarism can bring serious consequences, both academic, in the form of failure or expulsion, and legal, in the form of lawsuits. Plagiarism is a violation of the ethics of the academic community.” William G. Campbell, Stephen V. Ballou, and Carole Slade, Form and Style: Thesis, Reports, Term Papers , 6 th Edition (Boston: Houghton Mifflin, 1982), p. 52. For more information on plagiarism and how to avoid it, go to: http://www.indiana.edu/~wts/wts/plagiarism.html January 13 Introduction What is this seminar about? An overview of formation of Islam Lapidus (pp.
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