Liberal Democracy and Islam

Course Number: POL 378
Credits: 2
Offered: TBA
Instructor: Dr. Allis
Overview:

Against the backdrop of the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001, and the subsequent wars in Afghanistan and Iraq, questions have arisen as to whether the values of Western liberal democracy are compatible with the values of Islam. In this introductory course, we will explore the central values of freedom, equality, justice, and toleration as understood and practiced (or not practiced) in liberal democracy, and how these relate to the “Five Pillars” of Islam. We will investigate the differing conceptions of the relation between politics and religion, and ask what might be involved in “citizenship.” We will look at the Qur’an [Koran] and the Koranic conception of law as holy law (shari’a), and how this compares with a more secular understanding of law in the West. We will consider the Western doctrine of “just war” and compare it with the Islamic doctrine of “jihad,” and examine the charge that Islam in some instances seems to promote terror and violence. We’ll talk about the status of women, and the practice of “honor killings.” Throughout the course, we will be asking whether there is an inevitable “class of civilizations’ between Western liberal democracy and Islam, or whether these two civilizations can find some ways to co-exist.