This course is no longer accepting applications. Please contact us at ismc.shortcourses@aku.edu for further information about the course opening.

The course will discuss the pivotal role of minorities in the cultural, economic and political life of West Asia (otherwise known as the Middle East). While this region is one of the most diverse in the world, both in politics and in academia it has repeatedly been treated as a monolithic space and entity. In order to move beyond this stereotype, this course offers a new platform for presenting and exchanging views on this specific Muslim context.

We will explore the diversity of West Asia by concentrating on the religious minorities that live in this Muslim-majority society. The course will highlight the often neglected positive interaction between various religious groups, without ignoring the reasons behind the gradual decline of religious minorities. Participants are invited to interlink history, culture, politics and religion in order to obtain a comprehensive vision of the region. A section of the seminar will be dedicated to a comparative study between Europe and West Asia in order to present different approaches towards religious minorities and explain the reasons behind these differences.

The interactive seminars will be complemented by documentaries and discussions with members of minority communities from across other Muslim contexts. Pre and post reading material will be provided.

The sessions will address the themes of social change, religious adaptability and political pragmatism within a framework of cross-cultural bonds, contemporary social and political issues and the juxtaposition of various communities.