A30: Women and Islamic Revivalism in the Middle East - 3 units
Nesta Ramazani
Thurs. 11:00 a.m.–12:30 p.m. - Sept. 18, 25, Oct. 2
Senior Center - Limit: 75

Nesta Ramazani is a freelance writer and lecturer. She holds an M.A. in English Literature from UVa. She has published extensively on Muslim women and is the author of Persian Cooking: A Table of Exotic Delights, The Dance of the Rose and the Nightingale, and “Human Rights of Women in Iran” in The Future of Liberal Democracy: Thomas Jefferson and the Contemporary World. She has been a visiting lecturer at many universities in the United States and in Pakistan, Israel, Turkey and Germany.

 
The course will explore the rise of fundamentalist Islam in the Middle East and how the phenomenon has impacted the lives of women. Western stereotypes of Muslim women will be explored, as well as the diversity within Islam. We will trace the evolution of Sharia law (Islamic law) and draw on concrete examples from several Muslim countries to show how specific economic, social, historical and cultural conditions affect its interpretation. The confrontation of Islamic countries with the West will be considered, as well as the impact of international human-rights organizations on practices in those countries.

Suggested Reading: Karen Armstrong, Islam: A Short History, Modern Library Chronicles, N.Y., 2002. Nesta Ramazani, The Dance of the Rose and the Nightingale. Syracuse, N.Y.: Syracuse University Press, 2002.