Jewish-Muslim Relations from the End of the 19th Century (3 cr)
Günther Jikeli
JSTU-J 304 Social & Historical Topics in Jewish Studies (7350) / HIST-W 300 (13484)
TR 4:45-6:00 pm
CASE S&H; credit given for only one of J304 or HIST-W 300 with this topic
Muslims and Jews have lived together in many countries over the centuries, mostly in countries with Muslim majorities and under Islamic rule. The decline of the Ottoman Empire, the colonization of North Africa, the establishment of the State of Israel, and the migration of Muslim communities to Western countries, where both Muslims and Jews form ethnic and religious minorities today, brought significant changes. This course offers an investigation into Muslim-Jewish relations in the 20th century and the opening decades of the 21st century, focusing on North Africa, the Middle East, Europe, and the United States. Cooperation between Muslims and Jews will be highlighted but tensions, antisemitism, and violent conflicts, including the Israeli-Palestinian conflict will also be discussed from multiple perspectives.
The course will emphasize class discussion and encourage independent work. The goal is to gain a deeper understanding of the complexity and multifaceted nature of Muslim-Jewish relations in recent times. Course activities will include: (1) Doing the assigned readings before each class session and responding briefly in writing; (2) participating in class discussions; (3) submitting short writing assignments; and (4) writing a short and a longer paper and offering a class presentation. Students are encouraged to attend two public lectures on themes related to the subject matter of this course by visiting scholars.
COURSE MATERIALS
All course materials will be provided on Canvas or are accessible through IU eTexts or an electronic copy in our library. You do not need to purchase any additional books.
