CSPO 23A09 - Shiism and Politics in the Middle East

The course deals with the politics of Shia Islam in Iran, Iraq, the Levant, the Gulf and Yemen. After presenting the main Shia doctrines and institutions, it familiarizes students with the role of Shiism in the process of nation-state formation: how it has played out in Iranian state-building, how Shia have been constructed as internal others in several countries of the region (Iraq, Saudi Arabia, Bahrain), the role of Shia Islamic movements in the contestation of regimes. The course also explores the international dimensions of Shia politics: the role of Shiism in the foreign policy of Iran, the links between the Islamic Republic and the various Shia Islamic movements (the “Axis of Resistance”) and how these links have evolved over time and place.

In class oral presentation (group work, 2-3 students depending on the total number of students), 10-15mn (30%)

Take-home assignment: critical reading of one book selected in the bibliography to the exception of the required reading (Louër, Sunnis and Shi‘a. A Political History), 2 000 words +/-10 % (30%)

Final exam: document commentary 40%