Constitutional Struggles in the Muslim World

Go to Course: https://www.coursera.org/learn/muslim-world

Introduction

### Course Review: Constitutional Struggles in the Muslim World In an era marked by political upheaval and social transformation, **"Constitutional Struggles in the Muslim World"** on Coursera stands out as an enlightening program for anyone seeking to understand the complex interplay between Islam, politics, and modernity across various Muslim-majority nations. Conducted by a knowledgeable instructor, the course takes participants on a comprehensive journey through the social, historical, and religious contexts that shape the constitutional debates and struggles in the Muslim world today. #### Course Overview The course dives deep into the motivations behind the actions of restless Muslim youth from Tunisia to Tehran, and the political positions that Islamist movements advocate in different regions, including Mali and Chechnya. It also tackles pressing questions such as the origins of the obsession with Islamic law, the whereabouts of secular voices, and the feasibility of establishing an Islamic state—a topic that carries significant implications for the future of governance in these nations. Since the onset of the Arab Spring in 2009, the course has become increasingly relevant. It provides an incisive examination of how secular, repressive, and often inefficacious autocracies have faced burgeoning pressure, while simultaneously addressing the broader themes of modernity and religious identity. #### Syllabus Breakdown The course is organized into several modules that explore diverse geographic regions and their unique challenges: 1. **Overview of Themes**: The course begins by establishing key themes and principles, presenting an overview of the political landscape in the Muslim world. The recommended readings, especially the instructor’s article "Contested Universalities of International Law. Islam’s Struggle with Modernity," provide a strong foundation for understanding the overarching arguments. 2. **Ottoman Empire and Modern Turkey**: A historical analysis of Turkey sheds light on the impact of the Ottoman Empire. This module contextualizes Turkey's secularism and its choices in adapting to modern governance models. 3. **Egypt and Maghreb**: The focus here is on North Africa, especially Egypt, which serves as a crucial case study for understanding the Arab Spring. Engaging with the region's path to religious modernism illuminates the ongoing struggles and reforms in these societies. 4. **Saudi Arabia & The Gulf**: Gives a thorough examination of Gulf Monarchies. The exploration of rentier economies reveals insights into how financial structures shape governance and social dynamics in these states. 5. **Iran & The Shiites**: This section critically assesses Iran's Islamist governance and its successes and failures, fostering a nuanced discussion about the implications for governance in other Muslim contexts. 6. **The Levant**: A topical examination of countries like Iraq and Syria amid the backdrop of political disintegration offers deep insights into the enduring humanitarian crises that follow the collapse of state institutions. 7. **Afghanistan, Pakistan, and Bangladesh**: This module dives into the complexities of the Afghan conflict while offering glimpses into the political landscapes of neighboring countries. 8. **Malaysia & Indonesia**: Attendees learn about the rich historical tapestry of these nations, making comparisons that highlight the other challenges faced by Muslim communities in Southeast Asia. 9. **Sub-Saharan Africa**: The course wraps up with a focus on Islamic-majority societies in Sub-Saharan Africa, shedding light on the impacts of colonialism and the enduring weaknesses in governance structures. 10. **Conclusion and Outlook**: The final week synthesizes the various themes and issues explored throughout the course, encouraging participants to draw connections and reflect on the future of constitutional struggles in the Muslim world. #### Course Recommendations **"Constitutional Struggles in the Muslim World"** is highly recommended for students of political science, religious studies, international relations, and anyone interested in contemporary Islam and its political implications. It presents a balanced view of various ideologies and movements, encouraging critical thinking about the challenges that resonate across the Muslim world. The course offers valuable insights, analysis, and a broad perspective that equips learners with the tools to navigate complex political landscapes. The engaging lectures combined with a thoughtfully structured syllabus ensure that participants leave with a deeper understanding of the underlying issues that continue to shape the Muslim world today. **In Summary**: If you're seeking to comprehend the intricacies of religious, political, and cultural dynamics within Muslim contexts, enrolling in this course will be an invaluable investment in your education.

Syllabus

Overview: Presenting the Course

This week, we try to give you an overview of the themes and principles that we will focus on during the course. We look at the current state of the countries in the region and present the role of religion, the challenge of modernity and the different responses to modernity, which we will revisit thematically during the next weeks. It is highly recommend to read my article "Contested Universalities of International Law. Islam’s Struggle with Modernity" in this week's readings to gain a better understanding of the argument put forward throughout the course.

This week, we look at Turkey and at the history of the Ottoman Empire, whose legacy continues to influence many countries in the region today. Turkey occupies a special place due to its explicit constitutional and social commitment to secularism and a self-conscious emulation of the Western model. Keep the four models of adaptation in mind while watching the lectures of this week as well as the next ones.

This week concerns the region where the so-called "Arab Spring" originated: North Africa. We will focus especially on Egypt due to its historical importance, relative size and the impact its politics have had on other Arab and Muslim countries. Following the Secularism/Emulation model exemplified by Turkey last week, this region represents the second broad approach to modernity, namely Religious Modernism/Reform.

This week we will look at the Gulf Monarchies, especially at Saudi Arabia. The impact of essentially free oil income defines the social and governmental structure of this sub-region, so we will focus on the character of so-called rentier economies and their socio-political impact. These countries represent the third broad approach to modernity, namely Traditionalism, that is the notion that there is no need to change inherited socio-political structures.

Iran is the one place where the fundamentalist response to the challenge of modernity has had its longest and most thorough chance of carrying out the promise of Islamist governance. One of the main questions of the week regards the extent to which this promise has been fulfilled. In other words, whether Islamist claims to have a functioning and qualitatively better form of government have been sustainable, or whether the practical challenges of government have led to widespread popular disillusionment.

This week, even more than throughout the rest of the course, we are dealing with a very topical issue: The Western military invasion of Iraq led to the destruction of its state institutions and brought about the much predicted collapse of social order in that country. In Syria we are witnessing the disintegration of state institutions, caused by internal revolt rather than external attack, but with similarly disastrous humanitarian outcomes. While Jordan has generally managed to avoid being drawn into its neighbours' internal conflicts, Lebanon's fragile political system has shown much greater exposure to neighbouring events, especially in Syria.

Due to the importance of the Afghan conflict for world politics of the last decade or so, this conflict will be the main focus of this week's lectures. It is a truly interesting story, replete with exotic locales, tales of betrayal and great heroism, and more. This focus regretfully entails that the fascinating story of Bangladesh and Pakistan does not get as much attention as it deserves.

This week deals with the very rich historical, ethnic, linguistic and geographic tapestry of the two archipelagic nations of Malaysia and Indonesia. Truly fascinating places and very different from the localities we have so far discussed in the course. We look at both nations before and after their independence and end with a thorough investigation of the challenges they face today. The week's material is sure to be an eye opener to many.

This week, we will look at sub-saharan Africa and the particular challenges faced by Muslim-majority societies there. For obvious reasons, colonialism plays a very large role here and so we will return to many of the same issues already touched upon in earlier classes. But perhaps even more important is the endemic weakness of institutions. For more on those African nations that have successfully broken out of the vicious cycle of weak institutions, endemic poverty, bad governance, and domestic conflict, please see this week's readings.

This week, we move beyond the geographical focus as we try to tie up some of the loose ends and highlight some of the recurring issues we have studied during the past weeks together. We look at what the different countries have in common, what separates them and at the different kinds of tensions that we have found across the region. At the end of the week, you should have a good understanding of how issues in different countries relate to to each other and of the challenges that the region as a whole is facing today.