Islam in Contemporary Morocco

In this course, we will first learn about the early history of Islam and its expansion into North Africa and then will move on to discuss the challenge of modernity and the onslaught of colonialism as experienced in the region. This will be followed by a 10-day travel to Morocco. Our goal will be to understand the complexity of the lived experience of Islam in Morocco. To do so, we will focus on a few salient issues such as gender dynamics, varying interpretations of Islam, and ethnic diversity/conflict, and the impact of Islam on contemporary political structure. We will engage with eminent Muslim intellectuals, exchange views with local students, meet with activists from minoritized backgrounds, and visit heritage sites. Students must apply for this course, the deadline for application is September 10th, 2024.