ISLAMIC LAW IN THE NEWS
- “The committee studying the conflicts between shariah laws and the Federal Constitution [of Malaysia] should include non-Muslim constitutional experts, Beruas MP Ngeh Koo Ham said.”
- “Libya‘s Grand Mufti, Sheikh Sadiq Al-Ghariani, has expressed concern over blocking roads, considering such acts as highway robbery [under Islamic law].”
- “Saudi Arabia executed 170 people in 2023, including four on New Year’s Eve — an increase on the previous year, according to an AFP tally based on announcements by Saudi authorities.” For more content and context on harsh interpretations and applications of Islamic criminal law, consult our Editor-in-Chief, Professor Intisar Rabb’s “Resource Roundup: Islamic Criminal Law.” For more news blurbs relating to harsh applications of Islamic criminal law, consult our “Islamic Criminal Law in the News Roundup.”
- “Sheikh Mohammed Al-Issa, secretary general of the Muslim World League (MWL) and chairman of the Organization of Muslim Scholars, emphasized that there is no innovation permissible in the religion of Islam as it is a complete one. However, innovation is allowed in ijtihad, which is the process of applying the legal text to any particular event or issue, he said.”
CASES AND FATWĀS
- “In a significant move reflecting a deep-seated societal clash between technology and traditional values, a fatwa has been issued by the influential Darul Uloom Deoband in Pakistan, declaring the use of the popular social media platform TikTok as ‘illegal and haram’ for Muslims. The decree attributes this ruling to the promotion of vulgarity and immoral content believed to be rampant on the platform.”
- In a recent decision, the Madras High Court [of India] observed: “Under Islamic Law, the husband is entitled to polygamous marriage; however, he has to treat all the wives equally.”
- “One of New Zealand‘s higher courts has for the first time had to consider the rules around Islamic marriage contracts. The Court of Appeal this month ordered that a case about a Muslim couple and their marriage agreement be re-heard by the High Court.”
UPCOMING EVENTS AND OPPORTUNITIES
PIL & Harvard Calendar:
- Student work opportunity: Research assistant, Widener Library, Harvard University.
- Visiting Researcher: Center for Middle Eastern Studies, Harvard University, 2024-25, January 15, 2024.
- Fellowship: The Program on Law and Society in the Muslim World, Harvard Law School, 2024-2025, February 15, 2024.
Global Calendar:
- Call for Proposals: Law & Society Association Programming Grants, January 8, 2024.
- Call for Proposals: Law and Society Association Global Collaboration, January 8, 2024.
- Award Nominations: Law & Society Association, January 10, 2024.
- Call for Papers: The 4th Machine Lawyering Conference, Hong Kong, January 12, 2024.
- Fellowship: Doctoral & Postdoctoral Fellowships in Law & Inequality, Law & Society Association, January 16, 2024.
- International Conference: Islamic Theology: Uniting Diverse Voices, ISTAC-IIUM, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, January 18-19, 2024.
- Webinar: Revisiting the History of Medieval Libya (7th-16th centuries): The jurisprudential corpus and the history of Ibadism in medieval Libya: additions and difficulties, January 24, 2024.
- Fellowship: Kamel Center at Yale Law School, 2024-2025, January 31, 2024.
- Position opening: Postdoctoral opportunity in History of Islam/Arabic Studies, Leiden University, February 1, 2024.
- Call for Papers: MESA 2024, February 15, 2024.
- Webinar: Revisiting the History of Medieval Libya (7th-16th centuries): Looking for Libya in Coptic-Arabic historiographical sources, February 21, 2024.
- Book award: The Sharmin & Bijan Mossavar-Rahmani Center for Iran & Persian Gulf Studies at Princeton University, April 1, 2024.
- Webinar: Revisiting the History of Medieval Libya (7th-16th centuries): Partnership for Heritage. Documentation and heritage management for the protection of the Nafousa Mountains, April 17, 2024.
- Webinar: Revisiting the History of Medieval Libya (7th-16th centuries): Between Ṭarābulus and Aṭrābulus. The journey of the toponym and difficulties in determining its form, May 22, 2024.
- Webinar: Revisiting the History of Medieval Libya (7th-16th centuries): Surveying and documentation of the archaeological city of Barca (Al-Marj), June 26, 2024.
- Symposium on Copyright in Islamic Legal Tradition, Istanbul, June 28-29, 2024.
- Search for Editor: International Journal of Middle East Studies, until an appointment is made.
- Internship opportunity: The Executive Office of the President, White House, various deadlines.
- Position opening: Academic mentor and field researcher in Iraq, Cordoba Peace Institute-Geneva (CPI) & ETH Zurich, rolling basis.
- Position opening: Academic mentor for researcher in Mogadishu, Cordoba Peace Institute-Geneva (CPI) & ETH Zurich.
- Call for Papers: Special Section – Lifewriting Annual and Islam.
- Call for Manuscripts: Advances in the Study of Islam, Edinburgh University Press.