The Ethics of War and Peace in Islam

Western stereotypes often equate Islam with violence. The goal of this course is to dismantle stereotypes and to arrive at a more nuanced understanding of the Islamic ethics of war and peace, in theory and in practice. How have Muslim thinkers, past and present, debated the laws of war? What has warfare meant for ordinary people? What does "jihad" mean? Can a war be just? What have been the results of the so-called "war on terror"? We explore these questions and others through primary sources in translation (including poetry and novels), modern scholarship, and films. An optional trip to the Metropolitan Museum of Art is included.