Spanish 330SL - Spain and Islam

This course will explore a variety of questions and concerns about the 'Islamic constant presence' in Spanish history in order to understand critically the emphatic interest of ISIS in reconquering Spain. From an interdisciplinary perspective employing historical and literary texts, media, legal documents, art, and movies, we will study the Spanish-Islam connection, starting at the period of the supposed coexistence between Muslims and Christians in the Middle Ages. Issues of assimilation and integration in relation to the use of veils, the creation of mosques, immigration, terrorism, and so on, will be analyzed by following a comparative model to examine the past and present.

Prereq: Two 200-level Spanish courses above Spanish 212.