This course looks to understand the historical and cultural mosaic, and the geographical and political realities of the Mediterranean, in order for students to better grasp the complexities associated with this region of the planet. The Mediterranean basin is the cradle of many great civilizations as well as the big three monotheistic religions, and the Mediterranean sea links and divides Europe from the Arabic-Muslim world at the same time.

The course will in part examine the history of the Arabic-Muslim world, which demonstrates the contact as well as the confrontation between the peoples and cultures of the Mediterranean basin. Presently, the Muslim-Arabic world is afflicted by socio-economic inequalities, political and cultural conflict and emigration, which all beg reflection upon fundamental themes of the history of political and cultural coexistence regarding the opposing Mediterranean shores.

The course will also focus on the issues of the integration of immigrants of Islamic origin in the societies of the northern shores of the Mediterranean, on terrorism, as well as on Islam and modernity. However, the reflections in the course will move well beyond ideas of ‘civilization conflict’ between Islam and the West, theorized by Samuel Huntington, and will attempt, instead, to adjust its perspective in order to consider the single destiny of these two Mediterranean worlds.

Required Texts:
Horchani F., Zolo D. (a cura di), Mediterraneo. Un dialogo fra le due sponde, Jouvence, Roma, 2005.
Guolo R., Xenofobi e xenofili. Gli italiani e l’Islam, Laterza,
Roma-Bari, 2003.
Filali-Ansary A., Islam e laicità. Il punto di vista dei musulmani
progressisti, Cooper Castelvecchi, Roma, 2003.