Islamic Politics

What is Islamic Politics? This module seeks to introduce you to some of the key debates surrounding the nature and character of political Islam in the historical and contemporary context. While the core inquiry is a political one the module is interdisciplinary in nature. Islamic Politics draws on a variety of related disciplines such as anthropology, contemporary international relations, history, sociology, and religion to construct a cohesive representation of Islam in the political context. As such, we engage with debates surrounding its historical roots, its core political ideology, its relationship to violence, its compatibility with democracy, its representation in the media, the place of Muslim communities in non-Islamic polities and the prospects and possibilities surrounding engagement with radical Islam. In terms of area study focus we cover the greater Middle Eastern region. It is a module designed as much for students with little or no background in Islamic Politics, as it is for students who have already had some grounding.