Antisemitism and Islamism

This course will provide students with a comprehensive introduction to the form of antisemitism which became entrenched within Islamist ideology and subsequently came to be disseminated throughout the Muslim communities and beyond. It will begin with historical background, but work around to a focus on policy in the contemporary world.

Session 1: Jewish life in the Islamic world

This session will cover the historical realities faced by Jewish communities in the Middle East and North Africa from the time of Muhammad until 1948. It will explain the ways in which conditions varied across time and geography, showing that experiences of dhimmi status were not uniform. Particular attention will be paid to the pogroms and expulsions which accompanied the foundation of the

Session 2: Islamism and the Jews

This session will cover the form of antisemitism which is specific to Islamism, explaining why it is different from and yet related to forms of antisemitism which became established in the Christian world and the ways in which it is continuous with and yet distinct from forms of antisemitism existing in the Islamic world until the dissolution of the Caliphate. It will discuss the ways in which this forms a key part of Islamist ideology.

Session 3: Antisemitism beyond Islamism

‘Islamist antisemitism’ is unfortunately not limited to Islamist groups, nor even to individuals espousing a distinct Islamist ideology. Indeed, it has spread throughout Muslim communities, forming part of popular culture, and merging with leftist ideas about Israel as a ‘settler-colonial’ entity. This session will focus on the wider cultural impact of Islamist ideas about Jews.

Session 4: What is to be done?

This session will take a policy focus, looking at how the problem of Islamist antisemitism can be addressed in western countries such as the UK, and also looking at some of the many obstacles that any such endeavour will face – beginning with intense resistance even to the naming of the problem.

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