NS4320 Radicalization and Violent Extremism in the Muslim World

A research seminar on the ideology and practice of Islamist radicals and violent extremists in the Muslim World. Students read primary source translations of major Islamist ideologues, such as Hassan Al-Bannah, Ayatollah Khomeini, Sayyid Qutb, and Usama bin Laden, in addition to focusing on the strategies and histories of specific Islamist groups such as Hamas, Hezbollah, Al-Qaeda, and Islamic State. Students will conduct and present original research on this topic.

Prerequisite

NS3000 or consent of the instructor

Lecture Hours

4

Lab Hours

0

Course Learning Outcomes

By the end of this course, you should be able to:

• Describe the origins of Islamism in the modern world and outline the major milestones from Islamic modernism and revivalism to radicalism and extremism.
• Explain how the ideas of the major Islamist ideologues were shaped by their historical contexts and sociopolitical challenges, including imperial decline, colonialism, and authoritarianism, as well as the rise of secular ideologies of nationalism, socialism, and liberalism.
• Compare and contrast various strands of Islamism, including civic-political Islamism, Islamic nationalism, revolutionary Islamism, transnational jihadism, and sectarian extremism.
• Explain how contemporary Islamists use Islamic traditions such as sharia,​jihad, takfir, and martyrdom in modernity.
• Discuss the resilience of violent nonstate armed actors like Al-Qaeda and the Islamic State and their ability to grow affiliates around world.
• Assess our failure to prevent the spread of violent extremism around the globe despite more than 20 years of combating it, and draw lessons for a new path forward.