Spring 2021
Katrina Daly Thompson
3 credits
Fulfills Humanities, Intermediate
In New Muslim Cool, African American Muslim anthropologist Su’ad Abdul Khabeer argues that Africa is rarely understood “as an archive for Islamic authenticity and authority.” This course asks how our understanding of Islam might change by exploring that under-examined archive. Focused on close readings of ethnographies, fiction, films, and other forms of cultural expression, we will examine the practice of Islam and representation of Muslims in Africa and the Diaspora. By pairing primary and secondary sources, we will explore themes of not just authenticity and authority but also related issues of representation, positionality, difference, otherness, essentialism, normativity, and queerness. Ultimately, you will come away with a deeper understanding of the diversity and complexity of Islam and Muslims.
