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Welcome to the course page for MENA/POL/HIS 385 Introduction to Political Islam!
Political Islam has become one of the most ubiquitous forces across the Muslim world in the last four decades. While most of these movements share a common commitment to promoting Islamic morality and resisting external forces, there is enormous diversity and change within what is generalized as “Islamism.” Students will learn to grasp the basic differences as well as overlaps in identity and approach between the major streams of contemporary political Islam with regard to popularity and location, preference for armed vs. political strategies, nationalism vs. Pan-Islamist orientation, sectarian attitudes, levels of pragmatism, with a historical perspective.
Learning Goals
Learning Goals
In this course, we will explore key questions about the religion of Islam and politics:
What are the main sources of Islam? How do politics and religion interact? What is Shariah? What is Political Islam (Islamism)? Can Islam and democracy coexist today? How do Muslims balance faith and political life?
By the end, you will be able to explain and apply core concepts, theories, and real-world cases to better understand debates around Political Islam, democracy and authoritarianism, and civil society across different contexts.
👉 In doing so, students will analyze the “patterns and trends of political change” in the MENA region since the 19th century. This course assumes only some basic prior background knowledge of the region and the religion of Islam.
🚨 This course is thus suitable for almost everyone 🚨
🎈 During the course period students are expected to master the following learning outcomes:
▪ attain a nuanced and contextualized understanding of Islam as a religion in the Muslim world ▪ define and comprehend the nuances of Political Islam
▪ analyze diverse Islamist actors in the region from a comparative perspective
▪ identify the historical (colonial) roots of state formation (and current implications thereof)
▪ comprehend, distinguish, and compare/contrast the political systems of the MENA region
▪ examine and interpret the “patterns of political change” with respect to religion and politics
▪ comprehend and analyze the dynamics of civil society (and emergent social movements)
▪ identify current pressing issues & critically analyze the prospects for democratization in the MENA region
Course Time and Location
Tuesday and Thursday | 09:00 AM to 10:30 AMM
Marshall Building, 4th Floor, Fish Bowl
Instructor and Contact Information:
Instructor: Muhammet Topal
Office hours: By appointment
Email: muhammettopal29@arizona.edu
I am looking forward to meeting you in person! 🎉
For those who are curious about the Teaching as Research Project I completed based on Spring 2026, please find the link below!
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