Middle East and North Africa Studies, Allegheny College  

We are working toward a MENA track in the International Studies major, which might be approved by Fall 2010. Interested students may talk with Shannan Mattiace, Chairperson of International Studies, smattiac@allegheny.edu.

There is not yet a minor for Middle East and North African Studies at Allegheny, but we're working on it!  If you would like help designing a minor to fill your needs, contact either Shanna Kirschner or Vika Gardner.  If you are interested in pursuing a MENA track within International Studies, please contact either Shanna Kirschner or Shannan Mattiace.

There are several professors and projects currently purchasing books and videos (both documentaries and cinema) for the Library.  Here are some that you might find especially interesting:

Persepolis (Europe/Iran)

Waltz with Bashir (Israel/Beirut/Holland)

• Walking through Fire: The Later Years of Nawal El Saadawi
• The Politics of Knowedge in Premodern Islam:  Negotiating Ideology and Religious Inquiry
• A Fundamental Fear: Eurocentrism and the Emergence of Islamism
• Islamic Family Law in a Changing World: A Global Resource Book
• Islamism and Modernism: The Changing Discourse in Iran
• The Films of Makhmalbaf: Cinema, Politics and Culturein

To confirm whether the course will be offered, check with the instructor.

Environmental Studies

ES 340:  World Regional Geography (Pallant)

Language and Literature

Political Science

        PS 232:  Government and Politics of the Middle East (Kirschner, Spring)

        PS 354:  War and Peace in the Middle East (Kirschner, Spring)

Religious Studies / History

Fall

Beginning Biblical Hebrew (Bernstein-Goff) 

RS 140:  Introduction to Islam (Gardner)

RS 185:  Jewish-Christian Relations (Bernstein-Goff) 

RS 190:  Ethical Dilemmas from a Jewish Perspective (Bernstein-Goff) 

RS 280:  Modern Islamicate History, 1725-Present (Gardner) (counts for History majors/minors also)

RS 580:  Junior Seminar:  Muhammad in the Eyes of Muslims (Gardner)

Spring

Advanced Biblical Hebrew (Bernstein-Goff) 

RS 190:  Muslim-Jewish Relations (Bernstein-Goff) 

FS/RS 201:  The Qur'an (Gardner)

RS 215:  Gender and Sexuality in the Islamic World (Gardner)

RS 229:  Rabbi's Bible (Bernstein-Goff) 

RS 275:  The Middle East in Film:  Iran (Gardner)

To confirm whether the course will be offered, check with the instructor.

Environmental Studies

ES 340:  World Regional Geography (Pallant)

Language and Literature

CLC 220:  Arabic II

Political Science

        PS 232:  Government and Politics of the Middle East (Kirschner, Spring)

        PS 354:  War and Peace in the Middle East (Kirschner, Spring)

Religious Studies / History

Fall

RS 140:  Introduction to Islam (Gardner)

RS 270:   History of the Islamicate World I, 570-1725 (Gardner) (counts for History majors/minors also)

RS 380:   Shi'ite Society and Thought (Gardner)

Spring

FS/RS 201:  The Qur'an (Gardner)

RS 275:  The Middle East in Film:  Egypt (Gardner)

RS 370:  Islamic Ritual Practices (Gardner)

These professors are either doing research or teaching on topics related to the Middle East and/or North Africa.

Ron Bernstein-Goff (Religious Studies)

Vika Gardner (Religious Studies, History, Women's Studies, LGBT Studies, Medieval Studies)

Classes:  Islamic religion, history, and ritual; gender and sexuality in the Islamic world; Persianate and Turkic cultures

Research:  Sufism, Central Asian history and culture, gender in Central Asian literature/history

Glenn Holland (Religious Studies, Classical Studies, Medieval Studies)

Shanna Kirschner (Political Science, International Studies)

Classes: Arab-Israeli conflict, Politics of the Middle East, Conflict, International Institutions

Research: Civil wars, Ethnic conflict, Political violence

Eric Pallant (Environmental Studies)

Research:  Use of water in the Middle East

Laura Reeck (Modern and Classical Languages, International Studies)

Research:  Francophone North African literature, North African immigration to France, the harkis, women and gender in Islam, hijab