HIST 242
Crucible of Conflict: History of the Middle East
Syllabus
University of St. Francis
Fall 2003
Tuesday 6-8:45 PM
N225
| Office: |
Tower Hall S317 |
| Office Phone: |
815-740-3603 |
| Home Phone: |
815-729-0728 |
| Office Hours: |
By arrangement |
| E-mail Address: |
jchamberlain@stfrancis.edu |
Table of Contents:
Course
Description
Course Objectives
Texts/Documents
Course
Requirements
WWW Resources
Grading Scale
Course Schedule
Bibliography
Course Description:
The course "briefly surveys the long history of the region, but concentrates
on developments since 1900. Both Israel and the Arab states are studied,
and their relations with one another explored as they emerge into the family
of nations" (University of St. Francis Catalog). The course will focus
on current events and the historical background of those events.
Return to Table of Contents.
Course Objectives/Outcomes:
By the end of the course, you should be able to:
-
Recount an overview of the movements, events, and ideas which have characterized
Middle Eastern history and have molded the perspectives of its people.
-
Explain how and why the Middle East affects the U.S. and the world.
-
Explain Middle Eastern attitudes about America.
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Demonstrate how the Middle East became, and why it continues to be, such
a hotbed of conflict.
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Explain the significance of religion in the Middle East and how it affects
the world.
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Explain why the problems in the Middle East are so intractable, and understand
different sides of the issues well enough that you could mediate between
opposed groups. The goal here is, first, to make you aware of the
complexity of the issues (so that you are not so naive as to say "why can't
they just get along?") and, secondly, to help you with sensitivities and
skills of personal and global peacemaking.
-
Access and utilize internet sources for the study of the Middle East.
This includes discerning good from bad WWW sites and understanding biases.
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Write an effective essay that argues a thesis about the Middle East using
significant historical data.
-
Verbally articulate or debate an issue regarding the Middle East.
Return to Table of Contents.
Text/Documents:
The required texts are as follows:
Arthur Goldschmidt, A Concise History of the Middle East. Seventh
Edition. Westview, 2002.
Walter Laqueur and Barry Rubin, eds., The Israel-Arab Reader: A Documentary
History of the Middle East Conflict. Sixth Revised Edition. Penguin,
2001.
Note: we will not read this book cover-to-cover, but will use many
of the documents in it. See the Course Schedule for more specifics.
These texts are available through the USF Bookstore. There will
also be a number of other readings. Some of the documents will be handed
out in class; others may be obtained by clicking on them in the Course
Schedule section.
Return to Table of Contents.
Course Requirements:
-
Class Participation.You are expected to attend class, be prepared
for it (i.e., read the assigned readings) and participate in discussion.
You should be familiar with the texts and occasional online readings. See
the
Course Schedule for these. You are expected
to ask questions and participate in discussion, and will not receive more
than a C grade in this category if you do not contribute a comment or a
question at least once a week. Quizzes may also be a part of this
grade. Class participation will amount to 15% of the course
grade.
-
Simulation Participation. In the last regularly-scheduled
class, we will have an exercise in which we simulate a meeting of Middle
Easterners and other interested parties to solve problems in the region.
You will be given a role to play, and will be assessed by the quality of
the information you use and the perspective you are able to bring to bear
in the role you are assigned. 10% of course grade.
-
Book Review or E-Mail Correspondence. 20% of course grade.
You have the choice to read a book and do a review on it, or find an e-mail
correspondent in the Middle East. You will be responsible for reporting
your findings to the class (your report to the class will be figured into
the grade for the project). Projects are due 25 November.
-
Book Review. Choose one of the books listed in the
Bibliography
(other books may be acceptable, but you must ask approval from the instructor
IN ADVANCE). Write a 4-5 page review of the book which answers the
following questions:
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What are the main points (or the thesis) of the book? Why did THIS book
have to be written?
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How does the author substantiate the thesis (i.e., what evidence does he/she
use? how do the topics he/she chooses buttress the overall argument of
the book?)? Is he/she successful in proving the overall argument?
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What can we learn from this book? How does it help us understand the Middle
East?
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E-Mail Correspondent. You may, if you like, correspond with someone
in the Middle East by e-mail. You will be responsible for finding your
own correspondent (but the Penpals
service of Virtual Jerusalem or other penpals sites (see this
one) may be of help), and writing at least 10 detailed messages
back and forth (i.e., you should have 20 separate e-mails). You should
ask about issues and events relevant to the course (the government, religion,
political views, economic situation, etc.) in order to better understand
the region. Make hard copies of both your messages and your correspondent's
responses and turn them in when the assignment is due.
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Tests. There will be a Midterm and a Final Exam for this course.
The exams will each count 20% of the course grade.
-
Newswatch. Using WWW Resources (like the ones listed
here) and magazine and/or newspaper articles, research one current
issue or event (e.g. the Palestinian/Israeli conflict [or, even more narrowly,
the Palestinian suicide bombings or the progress of the "road map"], Osama
Bin Laden and the US war on terrorism, the US war in Iraq, etc.).
You will need to find at least 14 recent articles (one a week minimum),
using sources from different angles and viewpoints--at least half of your
articles should be from a Middle Eastern perspective. You may also use
one or two television or radio stories, but it will be even more critical
that you report these accurately (make sure that you have the exact title
of the program, and where and when it aired). Write a 3-5 page (double-spaced)
analysis of the different perspectives and explain what is really going
on. Separate fact from opinion as best you can and assess why those
interpretations are given. You will be asked to turn in an article
or two every week as a check on your progress, but the report itself will
not be due until 2 December. 15% of course grade.
IMPORTANT:
1) Academic Integrity. You are expected to have honor
and integrity, and to do your own work and not cheat in any way.
Plagiarism is claiming someone else's work as your own. I will consider
any of the following as plagiarism: copying (either verbatim or in substance)
from books, encyclopedias, pre-existing papers, WWW pages, or any other
source (slightly rearranging words or sentences in order to avoid exact
duplication is not an adequate defense); adopting the progression of argument
from one author; submitting a pre-existing paper as your own; incorporating
quotes in the text without any notation to that effect; or not acknowledging
your sources. [Note: this does not apply to something like your preclass
assignment--outline or notes on a book]. If a paper or an essay looks
suspicious to me, rest assured: I will check it out. I will also periodically
check references and citations at random. If you have any questions whatsoever
about what is proper and what is improper, make sure that you ask me. The
penalty for plagiarism is an F for the project and a possible F for the
entire course. Furthermore, your name will be submitted to the Dean of
the College for disciplinary action.
2) For all typed assignments: You will need to hand in a hard
copy AND post an electronic copy (word processing file) to http:www.turnitin.com.
You will need to create an account for yourself, then to access the course
by using the class ID# (1079280) and enrollment password (mideast).
You will NOT receive a grade until you post your papers to Turnitin.com.
3) Disabilities. All students with disabilities who are
in need of academic accommodations should contact your professor within
the first two weeks of school and schedule an appointment with the Disabilities
Coordinator. Please call Dr. MeShelda Jackson at 815-740-3461 or email
her at mjackson@stfrancis.edu
to schedule an appointment.
4) Academic Resources. If you need academic-reated resources
or assistance, please contact the Academic Resource Center on the second
floor of the USF Library, room 214, or call them at (815) 740-5060.
Return to Table of Contents.
Places to Start--WWW Resources:
Note: If you find websites that are particularly helpful to students in
this class, please bring them to the attention of the instructor by writing
to him at jchamberlain@stfrancis.edu.
Return to Table of Contents.
Grading Scale:
The grading scale for this course will be as follows:
| 95-100=A |
75-77=C |
| 92-94=A- |
72-74=C- |
| 88-91=B+ |
68-71=D+ |
| 85-87=B |
65-67=D |
| 82-84=B- |
62-64=D- |
| 78-81=C+ |
61 and below=F |
Return to Table of Contents.
Course Schedule:
Note: the readings are due to be completed by the day on which they
are listed. You are expected to access the links as well as read
the texts. You should print out hard copies of the shorter documents
(1-2 pages). This schedule is tentative and subject to change.
Note: the readings are due to be completed by the day on which they
are listed.
26 August: First meeting: get acquainted and orientation; introduction
to Islam.
2 September: Goldschmidt, chaps. 1-4
9 September: Goldschmidt, chaps. 5-6
16 September: Goldschmidt, chaps. 7-9; Handout: "Making the Shari'a"
(from Milton Viorst, In the Shadow of the Prophet: The Struggle for
the Soul of Islam, 2001); Handout: "The Clash of Civilizations"
23 September: visit to Mosque Foundation of Bridgeview
30 September: Goldschmidt, chaps. 10-12; distribution of
take-home midterm
7 October: Takehome midterm due; Goldschmidt, chap. 13; Israel-Arab
Reader, pp. 3-23 (esp. note the McMahon Letter, the Balfour Declaration,
and the King-Crane Commission)
14 October: FALL BREAK--NO CLASS
21 October: Goldschmidt, chaps. 14-15
28 October: Goldschmidt, chaps. 16-17; Israel-Arab Reader,
pp. 25-87 (esp. note the Churchill White Paper, the MacDonald Letter, the
Peel Commission, and the UN Special Committee on Palestine Summary Report)
4 November: Goldschmidt, chap. 18; Israel-Arab Reader, pp.
87-231 (esp. Egyptian President Gamal Abdel Nasser's Speech at the UAR
Advanced Air Headquarters and his Resignation Broadcast, Israeli Foreign
Minister Abba Eban's Speech at the Special Assembly of the United Nations,
UN Security Council Resolution 242, the Palestinian National Charter, Egyptian
President Anwar Sadat's speech Peace with Justice, Egypt and Israel Peace
Treaty, PLO Chairman Yasir Arafat Interview on Camp David; Syrian President
Hafiz al-Asad speech 1980)
11 November: Goldschmidt, chap. 19
Mossadiq
and the CIA-backed Coup
The Iranian Revolution
Official Hezbollah Party Page
Islamic Resistance Support
Association Page
Lebanese Forces
18 November: Goldschmidt, chap. 20
25 November: Book review/e-mail projects due; reports
2 December: Newswatch due.
9 December: Class discussion and simulation assignment.
16 December: Final Exam
Return to Table of Contents.
Bibliography
For your book review, you might want to focus on recent issues
or events (such as Iraq and Saddam Hussein or Osama bin Laden and Al Qaeda).
Below are a few books readily available in bookstores and the USF library:
Aburish, Said. Saddam Hussein: The Politics of Revenge.
Bloomsbury, 1999.
Bergen, Peter L. Holy War, Inc.: Inside the Secret World of
Osama bin Laden. Free Press, 2001.
Gold, Dore. Hatred's Kingdom: How Saudi Arabia Supports the
New Global Terrorism. Regnery Publishing, 2003. (Not at USF)
Miller, John. Inside Iraq: The History, the People and the
World's Politics of the Least Understood Land. Marlowe, 2002.
Karsh, Efraim, and Inari Rautsi. Saddam Hussein: A Political
Biography. Grove, 2002.
Williams, Paul. Al-Qaeda: Brotherhood of Terror.
Alpha, 2002.
Other good books for the book review. All books listed
below are in the USF Library unless otherwise noted. Titles which have
an asterisk in front of them are highly recommended.
Aburish, Said K. Cry Palestine. Westview Press, 1993.
Ahmed, Akbar. Discovering Islam. Routledge, 1989.
Algosaibi, Ghazi. The Gulf Crisis. Routledge, 1993.
Babinger, Franz. Mehmed the Conqueror and His Time. Princeton,
1992.
Badron, Margot and Miriam Cooke, eds. Opening the Gates: A Century
of Arab Feminist Writing. 1990.
Esposito, John. Islam: The Straight Path. Oxford, 1988.
________. The Islamic Threat: Myth or Reality? Oxford, 1992.
(not at USF)
*_______. Unholy War: Terror in the Name of Islam.
Oxford, 2002. (not at USF)
Farsoun, Samih, ed. Iran: Political Culture in the Islamic Republic.
Routledge, 1992.
*Fernea, Elizabeth. Women and Family in the Middle East. 1991.
Freiberger, Steven Z. Dawn on Suez: The Rise of American Power in
the Middle East, 1953-1957. I. R. Dee, 1992.
*Friedman, Thomas. From Beirut to Jerusalem. Doubleday,
1989.
Hiro, Dilip. Desert Shield to Desert Storm. Routledge, 1992.
*________. Holy Wars: The Rise of Islamic Fundamentalism. Routledge,
1989. (not at USF)
________. Iran Under the Ayatollahs. Routledge, 1987.
________. The Longest War. Routledge, 1990.
*_______. Sharing the Promised Land: A Tale of Israelis and
Palestinians. Interlink, 1999.
Holmes-Eber, Paula. Daughters of Tunis: Women, Family, and
Networks in a Muslim City. Westview, 2003.
Huband, Mark. Warriors of the Prophet: The Struggle for Islam.
Westview,
1999.
James, Lawrence. The Golden Warrier: The Life and Legend of Lawrence
of Arabia. Paragon, 1993. (not at USF)
Katzman, Kenneth. The Warriors of Islam: Iran's Revolutionary Guard.
Westview Press, 1992.
Keddie, Religion and Politics in Iran. Yale, 1984.
Lesch, David. 1979: The Year that Shaped the Modern Middle
East. Westview, 2001.
________. The Middle East and the United States. Westview,
2003.
*Lewis, Bernard. The Multiple Identities of the Middle East.
Schocken, 2001 (not at USF).
*_______. What Went Wrong? Western Impact and Middle Eastern
Response. Oxford, 2002.
Maalouf, Amin. The Crusades through Arab Eyes. Random House,
1984.
Mansfield, Peter. The Arabs. Penguin, 1993.
Marr, Phebe and William Lewis, eds. Riding the Tiger: The Middle
East Challenge after the Cold War. Westview Press, 1993.
Mazarr, Michael, et. al. Desert Storm. Westview Press, 1993.
Milani, Farzaneh. Veils and Words: The Emerging Voices of Iranian
Women Writers. 1992.
Parker, Richard Bordeaux. The Politics of Miscalculation in the Middle
East. Indiana University Press, 1993.
*Peters, Rudolph. Jihad in Classical and Modern Islam.
Markus Wiener Press, 1999.
Piscatori, James. Islamic Fundamentalisms and the Gulf Crisis. American
Academy of Arts & Sciences, 1991. (not at USF)
Runciman, Steven. The Fall of Constantinople 1453. Cambridge,
1990.
Shaley, Aryeh. The Intifada: Causes and Effects. Westview Press,
1991.
Sicker, Martin. Judaism, Nationalism, and the Land of Israel.
Westview
Press, 1992.
Tibi, Bassam. Islam and Cultural Accomodation of Social Change. Westview
Press, 1990.
Westrate, Bruce C. Arab Bureau: British Policy in the Middle East,
1916- 1920. Scholar's Press, 1992.
Wiebke, Walther. Women in Islam: From Medieval to Modern Times. Markus
Wiener Publications, 1993.
Williams, Paul. Al-Qaeda: Brotherhood of Terror.
Alpha, 2002.
Woodward, Peter. Nasser. Longman, 1992.
Yapp, M. E. The Making of the Modern Middle East, 1792-1923.
Longman, 1988.
________. The Near East Since the First World War. Longman, 1990.
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