Course Description

Recent events across Europe have sparked renewed debate about whether Muslims and Islam can be successfully integrated into European society and culture. This class uses a historical approach to make sense of these current debates. Starting with the rise of Islam and the Crusades, this class will examine the long history of European encounters (and conflicts) with Islam as well as the many ways that Muslims and Islam have contributed to and shaped contemporary notions of “modern Europe.” We will spend the first third of the class tracing the history of European encounters with Muslim populations from the seventh to the eighteenth centuries. The second half of the semester will focus on the Muslim experience in modern France from the French Revolution until the present day. The final third of the class will allow students an opportunity to explore the Muslim experience in other regions of Europe (Germany, the Netherlands, the United Kingdom, and Turkey) so as to situate the French case within comparative perspective.