The terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001, focused world attention on political Islam. Political movements defined in terms of Islam have been an important and growing force in the politics of the Middle East and beyond for several decades, however. Islamic politics takes many forms beyond al -Qaeda: the Iranian revolution, the domestic violence after canceled elections in Algeria, the violence as well as civil society in Egypt, the electoral successes in Jordan, Lebanon and Yemen, the violent struggles against Israel in Lebanon and Palestine, the politicization of Muslim immigrant communities in Europe and America, the social arguments over women adopting the veil and Islamic education, theoretical debates about the compatibility of Islam with democracy, the rise of new media forms, and much, much more. This course explores many of the difficult questions surrounding the rise of Islamic politics in a wide range of political contexts. What is political Islam? Why, how, and to what extent has it succeeded? What are its goals? Is it inherently violent, anti -Western, or hostile to modernity, as many claim, or is it potentially progressive, democratic, and moderate? How have different states dealt with the challenge-and does their repression explain the turn to violence? What is the meaning of jihad? How have other Islamists responded to the violent terrorism of al -Qaeda? Can Islam and the West peacefully co -exist, or is the war on terror leading towards an inexorable clash of civilizations? Format: lecture/discussion. Requirements: biweekly response papers, two 5- to 7-page papers and a final exam. No prerequisites. Enrollment limit: 35(expected: 35). Preference given to Political Science majors and African & Middle Eastern Studies concentrators. International Relations and Comparative Subfields