HSTAFM 459 A: History of Jewish-Muslim Relations

The relationship between Jews and Muslims has gone through multiple phases in the modern period as the Middle East, North Africa, and the Balkans moved between Ottoman imperial rule, European colonial rule, and independent statehood in various political forms. This course explores how politics, economics, and ideologies, both locally and regionally, shaped the lives and relations of two different religious groups, both also defined by language use, ethnic identity, and regional loyalties. We’ll consider Jewish culture and identity in an Islamic context; Jews’ and Muslims’ encounters with empire, westernization, and nationalism; issues of migration and diasporic identities; and the impact of Zionism, European Jewish settlement in Palestine, and the emergence of the State of Israel on Jewish-Muslim relations in the Middle East and beyond. The last part of the course will deal with Jewish-Muslim relations and attempts at dialogue in contemporary Europe and the United States.