The School of Middle Eastern and North African Studies (MENAS) recently announced the addition of two new courses for the Spring 2018 semester.
Islamic Spirituality through the Poetry of Rumi (MENA/PRS 353) will be taught by Dr. Austin O’Malley, the initial Roshan Institute Assistant Professor in Persian and Iranian Studies at the UA’s Roshan Graduate Interdisciplinary Program in Persian and Iranian Studies. This course takes the life, teachings, and poetry of Rumi, a central figure in the Persian Sufi tradition, as a starting point for a broader investigation into medieval Islamic spirituality, society, and literature. We also consider Rumi’s legacy in the modern period, including the many translations of his works and his reception by practitioners of New Age spirituality. Assessments include a final culminating project and short weekly presentations. It is open to both undergraduate and graduate students.
Genealogies of ISIS (MENA/POL 344) will be taught by Dr. Leila Hudson, Associate Professor in Modern Middle East Culture and Political Economy, at MENAS. Her course will examine the emergence and growth of the so-called Islamic State in Iraq and Syria. In addition to examining its origins, key figures, and milestones, the course will situate the organization in history, culture, and radicalization processes using a critical genealogical approach, paying special attention to the centrality of gender and sexuality, social media, and both local and global recruitment and net-works. Students will write a critical book review, an annotated bibliography of the emergent literature on a specific subject and design a research project using primary source material.
Students can have a minor in Persian by taking 18 units of these or other courses offered in upcoming semesters at the University of Arizona. The Roshan Graduate Interdisciplinary Program in Persian and Iranian Studies also offers M.A. and Ph.D. programs in Persian and Iranian Studies.