University of Pittsburgh

A survey of the developing political systems of the Middle East and their positions in world affairs. Considered are the nature of political leadership, the challenge of generating political legitimacy, the emergence of militant Islam, and the legacy of Western and Soviet imperialisms. The course will examine the states of Egypt, Iran, Iraq, Lebanon, Syria, Turkey, Israel as well as the Palestinians within a political development framework. (Comparative Field)

This course will examine the roots of terrorism in the name of Islam and analyze the various facets associated with it. We will examine questions such as: Why does terrorism occur? What are its international and domestic sources? How do scholars in the field of terrorism research explain the link between Islam as a religion and terrorism as an organized crime? How can we best explain the organizational structures and methods of certain actors that employ terrorism as a means of political action? What can be done to prevent terrorism?

This course surveys the Jewish historical experience from the 7th through the 18th centuries. Political, social, economic, cultural, and religious dimensions of a variety of Jewish communities are explored within the contexts of the larger societies in which the Jewish minority lived. Through study of primary texts in translation and secondary sources, we explore the different dimensions of medieval and early modern Judaism: rabbinic literature, Jewish philosophy, mysticism, biblical commentary, folklore and popular religion.

This course is a historical introduction to the religious traditions that developed in ancient Near East and the Mediterranean. Our major emphasis is on the history of the religious traditions that emerged in late antiquity in this area and which continue to be major world religions: Judaism, Christianity, Islam, and Zoroastrianism. We focus on key concepts, historical developments, and contemporary issues. Throughout the course, we also examine interactions among these religious traditions.

This course traces the history of the ottoman empire from its origins as an obscure band of frontier warriors, to the highpoint of its geopolitical power in the sixteenth century, and on to its further evolution as an increasingly complex and peaceful society, down to the opening of the period of European imperialism and nation building. It will address not only the ottomans' political power, but also those economic, social, and cultural factors that helped explain that power and gave the empire such a distinctive place in the history of Western Europe, Balkans and the Middle East.