Response Paper question: Does Islam have a particular/peculiar relationship with politics? Why? What is the Islamic revival, its attributes and why was there a revival?

Reading assignment:

1. Mandaville’s Islam & Politics – pp. 64-120 – Chapter Three

2. Hrair Dekmejian, “The Anatomy of Islamic Revival: Legitimacy Crisis, Ethnic Conflict and the Search for Islamic Alternatives”, Middle East Journal, Vol. 34, No. 1 (Winter, 1980), pp. 1-12.

Though they are short, these essays must have a clearly articulated empirical thesis (i.e., argument) and cite the assigned readings to support this contention. No outside research is necessary

Guidelines for Response papers, which should be 3-5 pages long (double-spaced). They should do the following:

a) Highlight the most significant arguments of the author(s) and

b) Discuss/analyze them in an informed manner, i.e., informed by other readings, lecture discussions, and your own insights. You should go beyond descriptive accounts in your writing and should demonstrate analytical rigor (analyze analyze!)

c) Be well-written and well-edited

Specific Guidelines

It is acceptable to be selective in discussing the argument (if the chapter is too long), but there are certain points/arguments that are clearly central to an article/chapter and should be discussed explicitly.

Articles often discuss certain concepts/themes and highlight them. These are important concepts/themes that should have been part of any response paper on that article/chapter.

Do include page numbers & author (in text citations) when you refer explicitly to statements, quotations. This should come in handy when preparing for exams.

All response papers should have

A solid introductory sentence or two, in which you sum up the thesis/argument of the article/chapter you’re reading.

Then, proceed to fleshing the argument. Here’s where you can go into detail.

Then, offer your critique and try to relate it to the topic of the course by invoking other readings, lectures, discussions we had.

Finally, state what you have learned from the article (one or two sentences)

MLA

Times New Roman 12 Font, Double- Spaced.