Introductions, go over the syllabus and course requirements. Discuss terminology, concepts, definitions, and paradigms that are relevant for studying “Islam and the West.”

Active viewing, journaling, groupwork, discussion.

The rise and spread of a civilization, from the Arabian Peninsula to the Iberian, the Indian Ocean world, and beyond. Contacts and exchanges.

Islam and the West themed guided walking tour of Prague.

Cultural and scientific exchanges. The impact of European geographical expansion on global dynamics and the Islamicate world; hybrid identities.

Challenges faced by the Islamicate world in the years immediately preceding and following Napoleon’s invasion of Egypt. A deliberation on the concepts of modernization and westernization in the nineteenth century Islamicate world. Institutional changes and cultural negotiations.

The Great War, the collapse of the Ottoman Empire, and the making of the Modern Middle East.

Multiple choice, fill-in-the blank, matching, short answer, essay. The material covers lectures, readings, presentations. Students will have the full session to complete the exam.

Considerations on cultural otherness and fluidity across time and space.

In-class viewing and discussion of the 1992 Spike Lee film Malcolm X, with an emphasis on the opportunities and limits of cinematic representation.

Conference mode.

Conference mode.

Conference mode. Wrapping up. Have a lovely winter break!