Islam and Politics

Subject 110-594 (2009)

Note: This is an archived Handbook entry from 2009. Search for this in the current handbook

Credit Points: 12.50
Level: 9 (Graduate/Postgraduate)
Dates & Locations:

This subject has the following teaching availabilities in 2009:

July, - Taught on campus.
Pre-teaching Period Start not applicable
Teaching Period not applicable
Assessment Period End not applicable
Last date to Self-Enrol not applicable
Census Date not applicable
Last date to Withdraw without fail not applicable

Intensive

Timetable can be viewed here. For information about these dates, click here.
Time Commitment: Contact Hours: 24 hours
Total Time Commitment: Estimated total time commitment (including non-contact time): 120 hours
Prerequisites: None
Corequisites: None
Recommended Background Knowledge: None
Non Allowed Subjects: None
Core Participation Requirements:

For the purposes of considering request for Reasonable Adjustments under the Disability Standards for Education (Cwth 2005), and Student Support and Engagement Policy, academic requirements for this subject are articulated in the Subject Overview, Learning Outcomes, Assessment and Generic Skills sections of this entry.

It is University policy to take all reasonable steps to minimise the impact of disability upon academic study, and reasonable adjustments will be made to enhance a student's participation in the University's programs. Students who feel their disability may impact on meeting the requirements of this subject are encouraged to discuss this matter with a Faculty Student Adviser and Student Equity and Disability Support: http://services.unimelb.edu.au/disability

Coordinator

Mr Shahram Akbarzadeh

Contact

A/Prof Shahram Akbarzadeh
shahrama@unimelb.edu.au

Subject Overview: This subject will explore the origins of ‘political Islam’ or ‘Islamism’- a backlash against the economic, political and cultural dominance of the ‘West’. It will survey the gamut of Islamist organisations in the Middle East, South and South East Asia against the backdrop of an increasingly shrinking world. This subject begins with the study of Islamic responses to European imperialism in the nineteenth and twentieth centuries, with particular emphasis upon the emergence of Islamic modernism. It then focuses on the growth of Islamic movements and their response to contending ideologies, including secular nationalism and socialism. This subject will conclude by considering the impact of Islam on international relations.
Objectives: Students who successfully complete this subject should...
  • have gained a critical understanding of Islamic radicalism, in its different manifestations globally, and the political and conceptual forces that extend or hamper its scope
  • be able to place political Islam within the context of a shrinking world and offer students a nuanced appreciation of relations between the West and the Muslim world
  • have a deeper understanding of the basic ideological tenets and historical roots of Islamic radicalism and the global context within which it has emerged
  • have an appreciation of the diversity within Islam in relation to the above
  • have a deeper appreciation and improved ability to analyse the literature on Islam and politics – with reference to the ‘clash of civilisations’
Assessment: A 1000 word seminar paper (due between 4-8 July 2009) 20% and a 4000 word take-home exam paper (due during the examination period) 80%
Prescribed Texts: Shahram Akbarzadeh & Abdullah Saeed (eds), Islam and Political Legitimacy, RoutledgeCurzon, 2003
Recommended Texts: Gilles Kepel. Jihad, The Trial of Political Islam (IB Tauris, 2003).
Olivier Roy, The Failure of Political Islam (Cambridge: Harvard University Press, 1994).
Shahram Akbarzadeh & Samina Yasmeen: Islam and the West: Reflections from Australia (Sydney: UNSWPress, 2005).
Breadth Options:

This subject is not available as a breadth subject.
Fees Information: Subject EFTSL, Level, Discipline & Census Date
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
  • have an appreciation of the diversity within Islam in relation to the above
  • have a deeper appreciation and improved ability to analyse the literature on Islam and politics – with reference to ‘clash of civilisations’
  • have improved oral skills by participating in seminars
  • have improved writing skills by producing a well-documented take-home exam paper
Related Course(s): Master of International Politics
Master of Islamic Studies
Postgraduate Diploma in Islamic Studies
Related Majors/Minors/Specialisations: Islamic Studies
Islamic Studies

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