Exploring Muslim Cultures I
Course Descriptions

Session One: The shaping of the Muslim world: Heritage of the past and issues of the present

This session will look at the emergence of Islam some fourteen hundred years ago in Makkah. The pre-Islamic social conditions that formed the cradle of Islam will be discussed. Salient features of the new message and to what extent it shaped and transformed the Arabian society at that time will be explored. Through the considerations of selected text, participants will have opportunities to understand how contemporary Muslims perceive the origins of their faith and the status of their Prophet and how this shapes responses to contemporary issues.

Session Two: Internal diversity, past and present

The demographic, geo-political, cultural and religious diversity of Muslims will be discussed. Contemporary diversity will be situated in its historical context by focusing on the first four centuries which are seen by many historians as the formative period of Muslim civilisation. The emergence of diversity in the context of the expansion of Muslim rule will be considered.

Session Three: The architectural and artistic heritage of Muslim societies

This session will explore some of the aspects of Muslim cultural production and material legacy from late antiquities to modern times. It will focus on selected pieces of architecture and objects of applied arts to discuss the inheritance of antiquities, the ex novo developments of early Muslim empires, and plurality in cultural expressions of different periods and geographical backgrounds. It will consider salient features of a rich urban history, its architectural remains and the cultural consumption of its societies, which left an outstanding amount of fine craftsmanship, core of so many Museum collections. Trade, intellectual and artistic exchanges along the silk route and the Mediterranean will be discussed focusing on the early modern and modern periods. Thus, the exploration of cultural interactions, borrowings and continuities will be a key feature of the session.

Session Four: Early legal and theological debates and their ramifications today

The session will continue the discussion from session two by focusing on the early legal and theological developments. The formation of different legal schools and the development of the Sharia will be explored. Various theological positions vis-à-vis the Quran, the notion of being a Muslim, authority etc will be discussed to stress the plasticity of religio-cultural identity in the early period. Note will be made of the role played by interactions among cultures that influenced Muslim rule in the formation of theological and legal positions.

Session Five: Contemporary predicaments and possibilities I: Politics and culture

This session will explore encounters with the ‘West’ and the impact of colonial rule in various Muslim contexts with reference to the debates about the legacy of colonial rule. It will provide a framework to understand comparative developments in areas such as military power, political theory, legal thought, trade, etc in Muslim empires and Europe in the early modern period and to examine the rise of modernism, reformism and early versions of ‘political Islamism’. Finally, it will examine the implications of the rise of nation-states and the challenges of nation-building as well as to provide participants with an understanding the role of competing ideologies (communism, secularism, capitalism) and their applications in modern Muslim contexts.

Session Six: Contemporary predicaments and possibilities II: Economics and development

In this session the key contemporary challenges related to development, governance and economic issues facing contemporary Muslim contexts will be discussed. The session will explore the relationship between governance and development, and examine the problem of corruption resulting from state economic intervention. This will provide the framework to examine the challenge of unemployment facing countries in the Middle East and North Africa, looking at the role of the state and private sector in promoting growth and hence jobs. This session hopes to challenge participants to think beyond conventional wisdom and accepted policies about the nature of the development challenge in Muslim societies.

Session Seven: Contemporary predicaments and possibilities III: Issues in education

Education and, more generally, intellectual life in Muslim societies today are seen by many as both the most lamentable reflection of the state of these societies and the most important factor requiring attention if the situation is to change. Through a focus on selected cases studies, we will seek to explore the nature and scope of current educational and intellectual challenges – philosophical, organisational, political and pedagogical. Various responses to these challenges – ranging from the re-appraisal of heritage to its rejection and from a retreat into the myth of the ‘Golden Age’ to honest self-criticism - will be examined. This will involve consideration of selected debates around modernity, secularisation and the place of reason. A glance at the intellectual traditions that were fostered under Muslim rule in the past will help gain some historical insights into the processes leading to current situation.