Islam and the West: The Pitfalls of Mapping the World

label Diverse autorenew 2025-09-29, 17:02 history_edu Maria Dumitru
Almost fourteen years after the September 11 attacks, the issue whether there is or in fact has ever been a %E2%80%9Cclash of civilisations%E2%80%9D is still being highly debated among both scholars and politicians. In the meantime, a series of protests and demonstrations across the Middle East and North Africa %E2%80" Green Revolution in Iran, %E2%80%9CArab Spring%E2%80%9D in Arab countries, Gezi Protests in Turkey %E2%80" have once more raised questions with regard to the viability of democracy in Muslim countries. While in Europe reports document a significant rise in Islamophobic and racist incidents over the last years, Muslims increasingly claim rights on the grounds that they are Europeans.In light of the current conjecture, %E2%80%9Cthe West%E2%80%9D and %E2%80%9CIslam%E2%80%9D %E2%80" two seemingly opposing notions %E2%80" gained a crucial role in the debates that structure the public opinion and political atmosphere in Europe as well as in North America. What does it mean to be %E2%80%9CWestern%E2%80%9D? What does %E2%80%9CIslam%E2%80%9D stand for? Are these concepts as mutually exclusive as it is commonly believed? How do Muslims perceive the West and vice versa? Why and how do ideas about oneself and the other change over time?This course aims at empowering students to critically examine the dichotomies %E2%80" such as %E2%80%9CIslam%E2%80%9D vs. %E2%80%9Cthe West%E2%80%9D %E2%80" that are prevalent in their everyday lives, the public sphere, and above all within the context of global conflicts. Hence cross-cultural encounters and the emergence of new forms of identity as a result thereof will be of central interest. Excursions and meeting Muslims from Berlin will help us explore the diversity of Islam in the midst of a %E2%80%9CWestern%E2%80%9D environment.

Course leader
Nur Yasemin Ural

Target group
open to everybody

Credits info
4 ECTS GRADING1. Attendance and participation: 20%2. Presentation: 30%3. Essay: 50%

Fee info
EUR 900: Tuition EUR 250: Program fee

Freie Universit%C3%A4t Berlin
Address: FUBiS, Malteserstr. 74-100
Postal code: 12249
City: Berlin
Country: Germany
Website: http://www.fubis.org/
E-mail: fubis@fubis.org
Phone: +49-30-838 73472

Islam and the West: The Pitfalls of Mapping the World

label Diverse autorenew 2025-09-29, 17:02 history_edu Maria Dumitru
Almost fourteen years after the September 11 attacks, the issue whether there is or in fact has ever been a %E2%80%9Cclash of civilisations%E2%80%9D is still being highly debated among both scholars and politicians. In the meantime, a series of protests and demonstrations across the Middle East and North Africa %E2%80" Green Revolution in Iran, %E2%80%9CArab Spring%E2%80%9D in Arab countries, Gezi Protests in Turkey %E2%80" have once more raised questions with regard to the viability of democracy in Muslim countries. While in Europe reports document a significant rise in Islamophobic and racist incidents over the last years, Muslims increasingly claim rights on the grounds that they are Europeans.In light of the current conjecture, %E2%80%9Cthe West%E2%80%9D and %E2%80%9CIslam%E2%80%9D %E2%80" two seemingly opposing notions %E2%80" gained a crucial role in the debates that structure the public opinion and political atmosphere in Europe as well as in North America. What does it mean to be %E2%80%9CWestern%E2%80%9D? What does %E2%80%9CIslam%E2%80%9D stand for? Are these concepts as mutually exclusive as it is commonly believed? How do Muslims perceive the West and vice versa? Why and how do ideas about oneself and the other change over time?This course aims at empowering students to critically examine the dichotomies %E2%80" such as %E2%80%9CIslam%E2%80%9D vs. %E2%80%9Cthe West%E2%80%9D %E2%80" that are prevalent in their everyday lives, the public sphere, and above all within the context of global conflicts. Hence cross-cultural encounters and the emergence of new forms of identity as a result thereof will be of central interest. Excursions and meeting Muslims from Berlin will help us explore the diversity of Islam in the midst of a %E2%80%9CWestern%E2%80%9D environment.

Course leader
Nur Yasemin Ural

Target group
open to everybody

Credits info
4 ECTS GRADING1. Attendance and participation: 20%2. Presentation: 30%3. Essay: 50%

Fee info
EUR 900: Tuition EUR 250: Program fee

Freie Universit%C3%A4t Berlin
Address: FUBiS, Malteserstr. 74-100
Postal code: 12249
City: Berlin
Country: Germany
Website: http://www.fubis.org/
E-mail: fubis@fubis.org
Phone: +49-30-838 73472