Southern Utah University

Course Syllabus

Southern Utah University
Southern Utah University
Fall Semester 2025

Introduction to the Middle East (Face-to-Face)

POLS 3440-01

Course: POLS 3440-01
Credits: 3
Term: Fall Semester 2025
Department: PSCJ
CRN: 32472

Course Description

An introduction to the study of the Middle East by way of geography, religion, political developments and ideas, and contemporary conflicts. Particular emphasis will be put on how early political events have come to affect the twenty-first century world. (Fall) [Graded (Standard Letter)] Registration Restriction(s): None

Required Texts

Aslan, Reza.  No God But God:  The Origins, Evolution, and Future of Islam. New York:  Random House, 2006. (Text, ISBN 978-0812982442)

The Middle East
, 14th ed.  Washington, D.C.:  CQ Press, 2014. (Text, ISBN 978-1506329284)

Learning Outcomes

Through a variety of examinations, writing exercises, readings discussions and lectures, students are expected to become familiar with essential elements, historical background and recent political developments to have basic understanding of the modern Middle East.  Essential Learning Outcomes (ELOs) are Critical Thinking, Intercultural Knowledge.

Course Requirements

Final grades will be based on an average of the grades from four exams (September 26, October 24, November 14, and December 5) and a take-home essay (due November 21).  Extra credit will be offered to students who view the David Lean film Lawrence of Arabia, or Ridley Scott’s Kingdom of Heaven and write a two-page essay on the film (also due November 21).  Letter grades are given to each essay based on the following criteria:  assigned length, writing ability, organization (use of an introduction and conclusion), content (details, grasp of core ideas as presented in the syllabus, lectures or focus in the essay question), focus/use of an established thesis, critical thinking (ability to draw a conclusion), and use of source materials (especially assigned readings) with proper reference style.  Each assignment will receive a letter grade and will count for twenty percent of the final course grade which will represent an average of the exam and essay grades.   

Course Outline

Lecture Subjects and Reading Assignments
Wednesday, August 27-Friday, September 26


The Middle East in Perspective:  In the shadow of three Gulf wars, the Arab Israeli Conflict, Arab Spring, the shadow of nuclear weapons, and the rise of al-Qa'ida.
Jerusalem/Al-Quds, One Hundred Years After
Defining the Middle East
The Problem of Transliteration and Pronunciation
Physical Features
A Region of Contrasts
The Peoples of the Middle East
The Problem of Demography
The Pre-Islamic Middle East and the Coming of Muhammad
The Middle East and the Arabian Peninsula during Jahiliya
The Prophet Muhammad
Islam
Al-Qur'an
Articles of Practice:  Ibadat and the Articles of Belief:  Iman
The Constitution of Medina:  The Umma
Muhammad’s Death:  The Constitutional Crisis
Orthodoxy vs. Heterodoxy in Islam:  Shi’ism

Readings
Aslan, Preface, Prologue, and Chapters 1-3

Monday, September 29-Friday, October 31

The Caliphate (632-1258)
The Orthodox Caliphate
The Arab Conquests and Empire
The Umayyad and the Abbasid Dynasties
The Crusades and Islamic Jihad
The Mongol Invasions
The Mamluk Dynasty
Arab and Islamic Civilization
Baghdad, Damascus, Alexandria, and Cordoba and the World of the Arabian Nights
Islamic Law:  the shari’a
Classical Islamic Political Thought
The Philosophical and Legal Debate

Readings
”Aslan, Chapters 4, 5, and 6

Monday, November 3-Friday, November 21

The Later Empires
The Ottoman Empire (and Dracula too)
-Ottoman Expansion
-Ottoman Government:  The Sultanate
-The Pivot of History:  Sulayman the Magnificent
¬Safavid Iran
-The Beginning of the Modern Iranian Nation and State
-A Modern Marriage of Religion, Nation and State
The Impact of the West
Napoleon and the Islamic East
European Imperialism
Early Reactions to the West

Readings
Aslan, Chapters 7 and 8

Monday, December 1-Friday, December 5

Contemporary Developments in The Middle East
World War I, the Collapse of the Ottoman Empire
Modern States and Governments
-Traditional Monarchies
-Secular Revolutionary Republics
-Islamic Revolutionary Republics
The Arab-Israeli Conflict...the fractured peace process.
Islamic Fundamentalism or Revivalism
Terrorism:  Usama ibn Ladin and al-Qa’ida, and ISIS/Da'ish
The Three Gulf Wars and the Prospects for a Fourth
The Arab Spring and After:  al-Qa'ida, ISIS/Da'ish, the Arab-Israeli Conflict, the Gaza crisis and the future of a two-state solution, and the issue of nuclear weapons and Iran
Epilog- Jerusalem/Al-Quds, One Hundred Years After

Conclusions

Readings

Aslan, Chapters 9 and 10
The Middle East, Chapters I, 3, 6, 7, 8.



Instructor's policies on late assignments and/or makeup work

Late work will be accepted with the professor's approval.

Attendance Policy

This is a lecture course.  Regular attendance is highly recommended given the challenging nature of the subject.

ADA Statement

Students with medical, psychological, learning, or other disabilities desiring academic adjustments, accommodations, or auxiliary aids will need to contact the Disability Resource Center, located in Room 206F of the Sharwan Smith Center or by phone at (435) 865-8042. The Disability Resource Center determines eligibility for and authorizes the provision of services.

If your instructor requires attendance, you may need to seek an ADA accommodation to request an exception to this attendance policy. Please contact the Disability Resource Center to determine what, if any, ADA accommodations are reasonable and appropriate.

Academic Credit

According to the federal definition of a Carnegie credit hour: A credit hour of work is the equivalent of approximately 60 minutes of class time or independent study work. A minimum of 45 hours of work by each student is required for each unit of credit. Credit is earned only when course requirements are met. One (1) credit hour is equivalent to 15 contact hours of lecture, discussion, testing, evaluation, or seminar, as well as 30 hours of student homework. An equivalent amount of work is expected for laboratory work, internships, practica, studio, and other academic work leading to the awarding of credit hours. Credit granted for individual courses, labs, or studio classes ranges from 0.5 to 15 credit hours per semester.

Academic Freedom

SUU is operated for the common good of the greater community it serves. The common good depends upon the free search for truth and its free exposition. Academic Freedom is the right of faculty to study, discuss, investigate, teach, and publish. Academic Freedom is essential to these purposes and applies to both teaching and research.

Academic Freedom in the realm of teaching is fundamental for the protection of the rights of the faculty member and of you, the student, with respect to the free pursuit of learning and discovery. Faculty members possess the right to full freedom in the classroom in discussing their subjects. They may present any controversial material relevant to their courses and their intended learning outcomes, but they shall take care not to introduce into their teaching controversial materials which have no relation to the subject being taught or the intended learning outcomes for the course.

As such, students enrolled in any course at SUU may encounter topics, perspectives, and ideas that are unfamiliar or controversial, with the educational intent of providing a meaningful learning environment that fosters your growth and development. These parameters related to Academic Freedom are included in SUU Policy 6.6.

Academic Misconduct

Scholastic honesty is expected of all students. Dishonesty will not be tolerated and will be prosecuted to the fullest extent (see SUU Policy 6.33). You are expected to have read and understood the current SUU student conduct code (SUU Policy 11.2) regarding student responsibilities and rights, the intellectual property policy (SUU Policy 5.52), information about procedures, and what constitutes acceptable behavior.

Please Note: The use of websites or services that sell essays is a violation of these policies; likewise, the use of websites or services that provide answers to assignments, quizzes, or tests is also a violation of these policies. Regarding the use of Generative Artificial Intelligence (AI), you should check with your individual course instructor.

Emergency Management Statement

In case of an emergency, the University's Emergency Notification System (ENS) will be activated. Students are encouraged to maintain updated contact information using the link on the homepage of the mySUU portal. In addition, students are encouraged to familiarize themselves with the Emergency Response Protocols posted in each classroom. Detailed information about the University's emergency management plan can be found at https://www.suu.edu/emergency.

HEOA Compliance Statement

For a full set of Higher Education Opportunity Act (HEOA) compliance statements, please visit https://www.suu.edu/heoa. The sharing of copyrighted material through peer-to-peer (P2P) file sharing, except as provided under U.S. copyright law, is prohibited by law; additional information can be found at https://my.suu.edu/help/article/1096/heoa-compliance-plan.

You are also expected to comply with policies regarding intellectual property (SUU Policy 5.52) and copyright (SUU Policy 5.54).

Mandatory Reporting

University policy (SUU Policy 5.60) requires instructors to report disclosures received from students that indicate they have been subjected to sexual misconduct/harassment. The University defines sexual harassment consistent with Federal Regulations (34 C.F.R. Part 106, Subpart D) to include quid pro quo, hostile environment harassment, sexual assault, dating violence, domestic violence, and stalking. When students communicate this information to an instructor in-person, by email, or within writing assignments, the instructor will report that to the Title IX Coordinator to ensure students receive support from the Title IX Office. A reporting form is available at https://cm.maxient.com/reportingform.php?SouthernUtahUniv

Non-Discrimination Statement

SUU is committed to fostering an inclusive community of lifelong learners and believes our university's encompassing of different views, beliefs, and identities makes us stronger, more innovative, and better prepared for the global society.

SUU does not discriminate on the basis of race, religion, color, national origin, citizenship, sex (including sex discrimination and sexual harassment), sexual orientation, gender identity, age, ancestry, disability status, pregnancy, pregnancy-related conditions, genetic information, military status, veteran status, or other bases protected by applicable law in employment, treatment, admission, access to educational programs and activities, or other University benefits or services.

SUU strives to cultivate a campus environment that encourages freedom of expression from diverse viewpoints. We encourage all to dialogue within a spirit of respect, civility, and decency.

For additional information on non-discrimination, please see SUU Policy 5.27 and/or visit https://www.suu.edu/nondiscrimination.

Pregnancy

Students who are or become pregnant during this course may receive reasonable modifications to facilitate continued access and participation in the course. Pregnancy and related conditions are broadly defined to include pregnancy, childbirth, termination of pregnancy, lactation, related medical conditions, and recovery. To obtain reasonable modifications, please make a request to title9@suu.edu. To learn more visit: https://www.suu.edu/titleix/pregnancy.html.

Disclaimer Statement

Information contained in this syllabus, other than the grading, late assignments, makeup work, and attendance policies, may be subject to change with advance notice, as deemed appropriate by the instructor.