Introduction

When I suggested that the theme of our session in Oslo be “Muslim Societies over the Centuries: Symbiosis and Conflict in Comparative Aspects,” I was thinking of two matters, which I would like to explain here in a little more detail. The first matter has to do with methodology. I consider that it is more important to reflect upon “Muslim Societies in Islamic and Middle Eastern Studies” than “Muslim Societies in the Middle East.” The second matter I was thinking of concerns specific incidents which have occurred in my own research field, including a small-scale revolt on the Syrian coast in 1318 and the change in the relationship between Muslims and Copts in Egypt during the Ayyubid and Mamluk periods.