This week’s issue of the Islamic Law & Law of the Muslim World eJournal includes:
“The Limits of Liberal Inclusivity: How Defining Islamophobia Normalises Anti-Muslim Racism” by Rebecca Ruth Gould
This paper (forthcoming in the Journal of Law and Religion) responds to recent calls made within the UK Parliament for a government-backed definition of Islamophobia. It warns that this definition might fail to address the government’s own role in propagating Islamophobia through ill-considered legislation that conflates Islamist discourse with hate speech. Instead, advocacy efforts should focus on disambiguating government counter-terrorism initiatives from government management of controversies within Islam.
“Pakistan: How to Suppress the Offence of Extra-Judicial Killing in the Light of Superior Courts’ Decisions” by Faisal Daudpota
This paper identifies some criminal justice reform measures aimed at reducing extra-judicial killings in Pakistan. It first highlights official indifference and the unconstitutional nature of extra-judicial killings. Next, it describes how judicial inquiries in Pakistan’s criminal justice system are ineffective for serving as a check on extra-judicial killings. Finally, it explores criminal trials and possible defenses, as well as offers policy recommendations for making extra-judicial killings a specific crime.