This subject will explore the origins of 'political Islam' or 'Islamism'- a backlash against the economic, political and cultural dominance of the 'West'. It will survey the gamut of Islamist organisations in the Middle East, South and South East Asia against the backdrop of an increasingly shrinking world. Political Islam begins with the study of Islamic responses to European imperialism in the 19th and 20th centuries, with particular emphasis upon the emergence of Islamic modernism. It then focuses on the growth of Islamic movements and their response to contending ideologies, including secular nationalism and socialism. Finally we consider the impact of Islam on international relations. -- Course Website
Instructor: Greg Barton
