THE STAR AND THE CRESCENT

The current friction often felt between Muslims and Jews was not always the norm throughout history. Following the emergence of Islam, it was far better to be Jewish in a Muslim country than in a Christian one, and often, people of both faiths have found ways to coexist peacefully and productively. In this course, we’ll delve into this history and prior periods of enmity to gain a more nuanced perspective. Over ten sessions, we’ll examine the commonalities between Jewish and Islamic culture, as well as the sources of tension between these two monotheistic communities, challenging our assumptions and broadening our understanding. There will also be in depth exploration of Muslim/Jewish relations post October 7^th and how that has impacted on the geo-political, religious, academic, social, security and media worlds.

Table of Contents

Lesson 1 – Jewish and Muslim “Biblical” Narratives

Lesson 2 – Cousin or Adversary: Images of Jews in the Quran and the Hadith

Lesson 3 – Islam in the Mind of the Rabbis

Lesson 4 – Convivencia: A Re-Appraisal

Lesson 5 – Kabbalists and Sufis: Islamic Influence on Jewish Thought

Lesson 6 – Under Suleiman and the Ottomans

Lesson 7 – On the Periphery of Islam – Morocco and Persia

Lesson 8 – Colonial Rule and the Allures of Being European in an Islamic World

Lesson 9 – Nationalisms in Conflict

Lesson 10 – Muslims and Jews in the Non-Islamic World

Steve Gruzd Bio:

Steven Gruzd is a programme head at the South African Institute of International Affairs and a journalist for the South African Jewish Report.  He has an interest in the Middle East and SA-Israel relations. He has a Masters in International Relations from the London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE) and a BA Hons, Wits. This is the third time he will be teaching “The Star and the Crescent” – this year revised and updated for a South African and global audience. He also previously worked as senior researcher and diplomatic liaison at the South African Jewish Board of Deputies.

Please click here for a short video introduction to the course.

Please click here for a CHAIFM inteview about the course.