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SOAS Enterprise

Political Islam - Global & Local Manifestations and Challenges

Monday 11 February

Political Islam: Definitions, Spectrum and Origins
  1. Historical evolution and spectrum; approaches to understanding Political Islam, ‘umma’ versus ‘nation state’
  2. Salafism: Doctrine, trends and global outreach
  3. The Muslim Brotherhood in Egypt (and Mashriq countries)
  4. Shia Political Islam (and Iran): Doctrine, regional & global outreach

Tuesday 12 February

‘Militant’ Political Islam
  1. Hizbullah: Origins, policies, present and future
  2. Hamas: Origins, policies, present and future
  3. Al-Qaeda: Strategy, Ideology and Structure, Global versus National Islam
  4. The Afghanistan Beginning and Emergence of Al-Qaeda and Bin Laden

Wednesday 13 February

Political Islam: Specific parties, themes and areas 
  1. Political Islam in Yemen
  2. Political Islam in the Gulf
  3. Political Islam in Somalia
  4. Political Islam in Nigeria

Thursday 14 February

Manifestations of Political Islam in South Asia and the Arab Spring
  1. Hizb ut Tahrir and its Roadmap for the Caliphate
  2. Political Islam in Pakistan and India
  3. Political Islam in North Africa
  4. The Arab Spring: Islamist forces vs. ‘others’

Friday 15 February

Political Islam - the Future
  1. European Islam: Possible or a Contradiction in Terms?
  2. ‘Secular Political Islam’ – the Turkish Model
  3. Islamist Groups in the UK, Origins, Formations and Diversity
  4. Muslim Women, Politics and Democracy
  5. The Future of Islamists in post-Arab Revolutions