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77372-01 - Proseminar: Political Personality Cults in the Middle East: Populism and Propaganda From Atatürk to Nasrallah (3 CP)
| Semester | fall semester 2025 |
| Course frequency | Once only |
| Lecturers | Hala Al Daoud (hala.aldaoud@unibas.ch, Assessor) |
| Content | Leader cults are not merely historical phenomena, but continue to shape contemporary politics worldwide. This course explores the emergence, persistence, and transformation of political leader cults in the contemporary Middle East and North Africa region. We will delve into analyses that focus on top-down state propaganda and authoritarian consolidation, and shift the lens to examine how grassroots actors construct, sustain, and adapt the image of political leaders—often long after their rule or death. Beginning with early 20th-century figures such as Mustafa Kemal Atatürk and Gamal Abdel Nasser and extending to Ruhollah Khomeini, Saddam Hussein and others, students will critically examine the personality cults and heroization discourses that have shaped national and regional politics across generations. We will analyze why these leaders are remembered and represented as heroes, strongmen, fathers of their nations, defenders, and even martyrs—and what political, cultural, and emotional work these images perform in both historical and contemporary contexts. Through case studies and comparative analysis, the course investigates how leader cults emerge, how they travel across borders, and how they evolve in times of crisis, protest, and diaspora. Special attention will be given to the sociological diversity of these cults, their symbolic power in anti-imperialist and nationalist narratives, and the role of memory in political identity formation. Students will engage with historical sources and theoretical debates to reconceptualize political symbolism and state-society relations in the MENA region. |
| Learning objectives | - Identify and explain the historical emergence and evolution of leader cults in the MENA region, with a focus on figures such as Atatürk, Gamal Abdel Nasser, Saddam Hussein, Ruhollah Khomeini, etc. - Critically analyze the role of personality cults and heroization discourses in shaping national identity, political legitimacy, and state-society relations. - Engage with and critique existing scholarly literature on authoritarianism, propaganda, political symbolism, and collective memory in the Middle East. |
| Bibliography | The required and recommended literature will be announced at a later date. |
| Comments | - |
| Admission requirements | Open to students of all disciplines. |
| Language of instruction | German |
| Use of digital media | No specific media used |
| Interval | Weekday | Time | Room |
|---|---|---|---|
| wöchentlich | Wednesday | 14.15-16.00 | Maiengasse, Seminarraum U115 |
Dates
| Date | Time | Room |
|---|---|---|
| Wednesday 17.09.2025 | 14.15-16.00 | Maiengasse, Seminarraum U115 |
| Wednesday 24.09.2025 | 14.15-16.00 | Maiengasse, Seminarraum U115 |
| Wednesday 01.10.2025 | 14.15-16.00 | Maiengasse, Seminarraum U115 |
| Wednesday 08.10.2025 | 14.15-16.00 | Maiengasse, Seminarraum U115 |
| Wednesday 15.10.2025 | 14.15-16.00 | Maiengasse, Seminarraum U115 |
| Wednesday 22.10.2025 | 14.15-16.00 | Maiengasse, Seminarraum U115 |
| Wednesday 29.10.2025 | 14.15-16.00 | Maiengasse, Seminarraum U115 |
| Wednesday 05.11.2025 | 14.15-16.00 | Maiengasse, Seminarraum U115 |
| Wednesday 12.11.2025 | 14.15-16.00 | Maiengasse, Seminarraum U115 |
| Wednesday 19.11.2025 | 14.15-16.00 | Maiengasse, Seminarraum U115 |
| Wednesday 26.11.2025 | 14.15-16.00 | Maiengasse, Seminarraum U115 |
| Wednesday 03.12.2025 | 14.15-16.00 | Maiengasse, Seminarraum U115 |
| Wednesday 10.12.2025 | 14.15-16.00 | Maiengasse, Seminarraum U115 |
| Wednesday 17.12.2025 | 14.15-16.00 | Maiengasse, Seminarraum U115 |
| Modules |
Modul: Themen der Nahoststudien (Bachelor's degree subject: Near & Middle Eastern Studies) |
| Assessment format | continuous assessment |
| Assessment details | No special language skills are required, but reading proficiency in English is expected. Participants must be able to read and discuss academic literature in English. |
| Assessment registration/deregistration | Reg.: course registration; dereg.: not required |
| Repeat examination | no repeat examination |
| Scale | Pass / Fail |
| Repeated registration | no repetition |
| Responsible faculty | Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences, studadmin-philhist@unibas.ch |
| Offered by | Fachbereich Nahost-Studien |