Crusade, Al-Qaeda, and Israel, HIST300XX-01

        This course explores the meaning found in terms like, "American-Zionist Crusaders" -- a favorite term & linkage of Osama bin Laden. We will examine the pertinent history and ideology as well as current events that fuel Middle Eastern hostilities.

        This will not be a class that simply disseminates information or pat anwers, or attempts to propagandize students either to some politically correct notion or to the professor's pet notions. It will not revel in self-centered American interest(s).  It will confront the hard issues (e.g., What are the obstacles to peace?), and will present opposition arguments for major ideas we explore. Do historians have a bias? If a historian claims no bias, watch out!

       The class will proceed by following the books, pertinent events as they happen, and by diving into issues that keep you, or me, up at night.  Each book has controversial sides, hidden sub-texts, subtle arguments, and sometimes, outright propaganda.  We will read and dicsuss each book in class, so   it is of the essence  to keep up on the readings, and to read carefully -- with thought, context and notes.

        One over-arching theme of the class is the interaction(s) between the West and the Middle East -- certainly fundamental to understanding 9/11, the wars in Afganistan and Iraq, as well as crusade and the modern state of Israel.  Other themes will center on war and peace (and how religious faiths link to war and peace), political strategies (esp. given nuclear proliferations), terrorism as an 'ism' and as a current reality, Just War Theory (and the idea that IT may be a casualty), globalisation, paradigm shifts as in the Clash of Civilizations, and somewhere (or everywhere) the Crusades fit into all this!

         The main goal of the course is to examine deep ideas, long present in the Middle East, that most Americans are simply unaware of, and so to understand better this struggle that we have found, and will find, ourselves in.

         Other goals: To examine the historical record of the crusade period; to explore (current and historical) Western developments along with Middle Eastern situations and relationships to see, as well as is possible, the linkages that help to explain periods of hostility as well as periods of peace;

To solve historical problems and communicate both the solution and the method used to arrive at the solution;

To develop/improve a critical frame of thought. This is easier, in my view, than its partner:  also to find your own way through controversial matters to your own conclusion(s) based on evidence and reasons that you can articulate to explain your position and opposing positions (to yourself and to others!);

To gain a sense that we all participate in the historical family of humanity, and that learning about this family can teach us about ourselves.

The Case for Israel by Alan Dershowitz (Wiley, 2004) ISBN: 047-167-9526.

Religious Foundations of Western Civilization: Judaism, Christianity, and Islam, edited by Jacob Neusner (Abingdon Press, ISBN: 0687332028).

The First Crusade by Edward Peters, editor (Second Edition, University of Pennsylvaia Press, 1998.) ISBN: 978-0-8122-1656-1.

The Crisis of Islam: Holy War and Unholy Terror, by Bernard Lewis  (Random House Publishing Group, 2004) ISBN: 0-812-96785-2.

      Grades are drawn from ongoing class discussions (20%), individual presentations (20%), a paper (30%) and a final exam (30%).

       Office Hours: Foster 419  ??at (801-832-2391). 

        Regular attendance is important, and for the discussion grade, necessary.   HIST 300 carries 3 upper-division history credits.   mm email

This schedule is tentative and subject to change (probably within minutes!) depending upon the progress and the interests of our class.
Some Readings will be assigned as we go forward.

Please be prepared to discuss readings & issues, or lose.

Examine and discuss the foundations of Christianity
Read Jacob Neusner from the beginning to p. 155 for  MAJOR ISSUES

The People of the Book: Meaning & Failure -- This is the essential question of the class. To what extent are hostilities and/or alliances between or among the three cultures and/or religions a result of the intrinsic meaning of each, or failures of one or all? (More on this question in class)

Read the Osama Fatwas of '96 & '98: What links seem to exist in his mind between the Six Days' War (causes, course, results) and his 'beef' with, well, with whomever? What new info/ideas etc do you see in the Sept 2007 transcript? Stretch out and think about these questions.

9/11 -- How it changed so much and what it meant/means

Read the Case for Israel through p. 104

Discuss Irksome Points as you are Irked with some added evidence, reasons, views

Read Huntington

Discuss the main point of the Clash: What do YOU think?

This is big in terms of historical thinking & explanation....

The Crusade: Does its existence prophesy the Clash of Civilizations?

Ed Peter's Intro: Scour

Re-Entry/Intro into Islam: The many sides Omar sparked -- Mosque and Prohibitions, Conquest and Peaceful Prosperity, Ummah and Containment

Begin reading Lewis, slowly and carefully as you integrate all else we've done and not done

The Ottoman -- Foot-rest or Paradise or Fools'-Paradise?

The "Golden Past" becomes dust under Imperialist feet?

World Wars, Petroleum, Nationalism in the Middle East

Revivable Ummah? -- A Western Radical-Reaction here?