Gordon Hahn

The course is an introductory overview of terrorism in the former Soviet Union (FSU). Topics include definitions of terrorism, theories on the causes of terrorism, non-state and state terrorism, jihadism, ultra-nationalism, and skinhead terrorism. The geographic scope of the course encompasses the former Soviet republics and, where relevant, adjacent territories affecting terrorism in the FSU. Approximately half of the course will address jihadi, skinhead, and state terrorism in Russia. Approximately a quarter of the course examines jihadism and state terrorism in Central Asia. The course details the ideologies, strategies, tactics, and specific operations employed by non-state terrorists and by states. The course uses both the lecture and case methods; active student participation is both encouraged and required.

Fall 2009 - MIIS, Fall 2010 - MIIS, Fall 2011 - MIIS

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The purpose of this course is to give students a thorough introduction to the various Russian domestic governance and foreign policy issues facing the Russian state and society in the wake of their transformation from totalitarian communist rule. The course provides a brief historical overview of both the late Tsarist and Soviet eras as context for understanding the depth, scale, and scope of the changes that have occurred in Russia over the last two decades. In addition to the historical context, the course puts the Russian transformation and present system into comparative perspective by presenting them from various theoretical and analytical approaches. Russia’s regime transformation from communist rule and the evolution of its political, constitutional, federative and economic systems, social problems, and foreign policy dilemmas under Yeltsin, Putin and Medvedev are treated both sui generis and in comparative perspective.

Spring 2010 - MIIS

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This seminar’s core focus is the politics of Islam and Muslims and the rise of contemporary Islamism and jihadism in Central Asia. In particular, we examine non-state and state terrorism in the five former Soviet republics of Central Asia - Kazkahstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, and Uzbekistan. It focuses primarily on the history and current activity of Al Qa`ida-connected or Al`Qaida-inspired jihadist organizations such as the Islamic Movement of Uzbekistan, the Islamic Jihad Union, the Islamic Movement of Turkestan, as well as recently emerged smaller offshoot organizations operating in the region, most notably in Kazakhstan for the first time. The course examines causal factors for the rise of jihadi terrorism in Central Asia and elsewhere such as poverty, failing states, authoritarian regimes, bad governance, the resonance of Islamist ideologies, charismatic authority patterns, and complex network organization and leadership practices. The ties between jihadi terrorists in the five Central Asian states and other global jihadi revolutionary organizations in neighboring states such as Afghanistan, Pakistan, Russia and China as well as in Europe will also be examined. In addition, counter-terrorism and other policies of the authoritarian regimes of Central Asia will looked at, in particular evidence of state terrorism and massive human rights violations spread across most of the region. The remainder of this syllabus’s course schedule will be revised before the beginning of the 2013 spring semester.The ‘Politics and Islam in Russia’ seminar is designed for those interested in the causes and resolution of violent conflict, separatist insurgencies, terrorism, non-proliferation, and comparative Islamic politics. It offers students an in-depth introduction to the role played by Islam and the ‘forgotten Muslims’ of Russia in both domestic, regional, and international politics. Through the careful reading of primary and secondary sources, the seminar’s central purpose is to engage students in a detailed comparative examination of the historical, geographic, ethnic, theological, institutional, and global factors that shape identity politics and frame other political issues for Russia’s Muslims.

Spring 2013 - MIIS

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The ‘Politics and Islam in Russia’ seminar is designed for those interested in the causes and resolution of violent conflict, separatist insurgencies, terrorism, non-proliferation, and comparative Islamic politics. It offers students an in-depth introduction to the role played by Islam and the ‘forgotten Muslims’ of Russia. in both domestic, regional, and international politics. Through the careful reading of primary and secondary sources, the seminar’s central purpose is to engage students in a detailed comparative examination of the historical, geographic, ethnic, theological, institutional, and global factors that shape identity politics and frame other political issues for Russia’s Muslims. The course’s core focus is the politics of Islam and Muslims and the rise of contemporary Islamism and jihadism in Russia. Under these, major foci include: the complex history of the ambivalent relationship between the Russian Tsarist state and society, on the one hand, and Eurasia’s Muslims, on the other; the dramatic fate of Muslims under Soviet rule; the role of Muslims and Islam during the Soviet demise and the varied post-Soviet transformations; the competing explanations for the recent rise of jihadi terrorism in Russia and other parts of Eurasia; and the implications of jihadist terrorism in the region for the challenges of conflict resolution, non-proliferation, and global jihadi terrorism. In particular, we look closely at the peculiarities of ethnicity, national identity, and confession of Russia’s numerous Muslim ethnic groups, their relations both with each other, the states and the larger Russian society, and the rise of Islamism and jihadism in Russia in comparative perspective. By looking at these phenomena through the prism of nationalism theory, comparative nationalism, and comparative Islamism, the course focuses on the formation and consolidation of national identity, the politicization of such identity, and the transformation of ethno-nationalism into pan-Islamic, political Islamic, Islamist, and jihadist trends and movements. The seminar reviews socioeconomic, demographic, ideological, theological, and political trends in Russia, paying particular attention to the role of regime type, economic development, and the relative role of Islam as factors shaping the state, society, state-society relations, and Muslim-state relations. It also analyzes competing explanations of the causes of the Russo-Chechen conflict, Moscow’s ongoing accommodation with Tatarstan and the other constituent Muslim and national republics of the federation, and the rise of jihadism and terrorism. A broad set of ideological influences and trends affecting Russia’s Muslims are examined, including reformist jadidism, syncretic Eurasianism, and reactionary Islamist jihadism, among others. We also discuss cases of, and potential scenarios involving the use and proliferation of WMD materials and weapons by Central Asian jihadi terrorists. Finally, we look at the influence of Islam and Muslims on Russia’s foreign and national security policies and international security.

Spring 2010 - MIIS, Spring 2011 - MIIS, Spring 2012 - MIIS, Fall 2012 - MIIS, Fall 2013 - MIIS

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