Harvard University’s leading initiative for producing advanced knowledge on the universal, transnational, and global dimensions of the Shi’a Islamic revival from an interdisciplinary perspective.

 

About the Project

Harvard Courses on Shi'ism

History of Modern Iran (Sagha)

Semester: 

Fall

Offered: 

2022
This course examines the history, society, and politics of modern Iran beginning with the Qajar dynasty in the 19th century up until the contemporary period. It undertakes an interdisciplinary approach situating Iran in its regional and international context while simultaneously exploring Iranian civilizational and religious heritage and the domestic dynamics of state-society relations in modern Iranian history. The course also explores the role of Islamic clergy (ulema), the institution of Shi’a seminaries and clerical hierarchy (marja’iyya), and the emerging contestation... Read more about History of Modern Iran (Sagha)
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Shi'a Islam and Politics (Sagha)

Semester: 

Fall

Offered: 

2022
From the conflict in Yemen pitting the Shi'a Houthis against a Saudi-led coalition, to the civil war in Syria and the Shi'a militia-led fight against ISIS in Iraq, dominant media narratives portray conflict in today's Middle East as part of a proxy battle between Iran and Saudi Arabia rooted in an ancient dispute within the Muslim world between the Shi'a and Sunni sects of Islam. In this rendering, primordial hatreds are driving religious wars and civil conflict with Iran, at the heart of the so-called Shi'a crescent, and Saudi Arabia, the stalwart of true Sunni identity. However, such... Read more about Shi'a Islam and Politics (Sagha)
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Get Involved

If you are interested in helping out or looking to assist with research on Shi'a affairs, please email Payam Mohseni with a statement of interest and short bio.

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