Islamic Law in the News Roundup

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ISLAMIC LAW IN THE NEWS

  • “For the past years of its existence, the NYSC [National Youth Service Corps, Nigeria] scheme has been mandating prospective female corps members who are married to change their father’s name (or family name) to that of their husband’s. This has not gone down well with Muslims among the female prospective corps members. This is because, in Islam, each person (whether married or not) is required to keep his/her family identity (by keeping his or her surname otherwise called maiden name).”
  • “The Selangor Islamic Religious Department [Malaysia] has been instructed to ensure that all Islamic preachers invited to the state, especially to talk on matters related to aqidah (faith), syariah (Islamic law), the teachings of tasawwuf (Sufism), and the practice of tariqa (spiritual paths), are accredited by the Selangor Islamic Religious Council Accreditation Committee.”
  • “Building on the success of its previous issuance in December 2023, the Philippine government plans to issue another Sukuk bond in 2025 as part of efforts to develop the Islamic finance market and attract Shariah-compliant investments.”
  • “Religious authorities in the northern Malaysian state of Terengganu have been accused of acting like the ‘Taliban’, after a sharia court ordered a 42-year-old father of five to be the first in the state to be caned for close proximity with a woman out of wedlock.”
  • “The third and last day of the 32nd annual International Sunni Ijtema of Sunni Dawate Islami, the worldwide organisation of Sunni Muslims, saw thousands turning up at the Azad Maidan to hear speeches, get guidance, and pray together.”
  • “People in Pakistan may still be able to use VPN services without restrictions as the country’s telecom body has decided not to ban VPN usage after all. This came as Pakistan’s Law Ministry said the government cannot legally block VPNs.”

CASES AND FATWĀS

  • “Rajagopal, a 70-year-old farmer from the tiuchirappalli region of tamil Nadu, was astonished when he attempted to sell his 1.2-acre plot to pay for his daughter’s wedding. He received a 20-page paper from the sub-registrar’s office stating that the tamil Nadu Waqf Board actually owned his land.”
  • “The Waqf Tribunal in Kozhikode [India], headed by judge Rajan Thattil, has postponed hearing on the contentious Munambam land dispute to December 6. The case, centered around the classification of 404 acres of land as waqf property, stems from an appeal filed by Farook College, Kozhikode. The college is challenging the Kerala State Waqf Board’s decision to list the land under its registry, asserting it was a gift deed to it from the late Mohammed Siddeeq Sait.”
  • “Chief Syar’ie Judge [of Borneo, Malaysia] reminded newly registered Syariah lawyers of their ethical responsibilities and the importance of applying their knowledge to uphold justice in accordance with the Islamic law.
  • In Indonesia, “[l]ess than a week after the women’s world cup football final drew record crowds and global TV audiences, clerics in a hardline Islamist Indonesian province said attempts to revive the game in the country were ‘forbidden’ unless men were excluded entirely.”
  • “The South Jakarta Religious Court in Indonesia has rejected the marriage validation application of singers Rizky Febian and Mahalini. . . . According to reports, the application was denied because their marriage did not fulfill the essential requirements of an Islamic marriage. As a result, the couple has been advised to remarry to ensure their union is valid according to Islamic law and the principles of ijab [offer] and kabul [acceptance].”
  • “Afghanistan Ulema Council (AUC) sa[id] blocking streets by protesters is unlawful and contrary to the Islamic law and principles.” For more content and context on the recent developments in Afghanistan, consult our Editor-in-Chief, Professor Intisar Rabb’s “Resource Roundup: Afghanistan, the Taliban, and Islamic Law.” 
  • “The controversial Waqf Amendment Bill [India], which aims to reform the management and regulation of Waqf properties across India, is expected to be presented during the Budget Session in February 2025, according to sources reported by India Today TV. The bill’s introduction has been postponed due to intense debates and disruptions within the Joint Parliamentary Committee (JPC) responsible for reviewing it.”
  • “A Texas money manager who catered to Muslim clients illegally invested $18.5 million of their money into cryptocurrencies without their knowledge, the US Securities and Exchange Commission said . . . Through radio shows, podcasts, interviews, and other media, he targeted members of the Muslim community in the US and said his fund complied with Islamic law.”
  • “Marcus Fakana, an 18-year-old Briton from Tottenham, London, finds himself facing serious legal trouble during what was supposed to be a fun family holiday in Dubai. The young man is accused of having engaged in a sexual relationship with a 17-year-old British girl, who has since turned 18, during their stay at the luxury emirate. . . . Dubai’s legal framework operates under strict interpretations of Islamic law. Under UAE law, individuals below the age of 18 are classified as minors, and sexual relationships involving minors can lead to severe penalties. Though consensual premarital relationships were decriminalized recently, this law does not extend to those involving minors, which has placed Marcus at great risk of prosecution.” 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.”

UPCOMING EVENTS AND OPPORTUNITIES

PIL & Harvard Calendar:

  • Islamic Law Speaker Series: “On Theocratic Criminal Law: The Rule of Religion and Punishment in Iran,” Bahman Khodadadi, Program in Islamic Law, December 10, 2024.
  • Virtual Seminar: “International Norms and Islamic Principles: Exploring Commonalities for Peacebuilding,” Harvard Law School, December 10, 2024.
  • Call for Submissions: Journal of Islamic Law Special Issue, January 13, 2025.
  • Islamic Law Speaker Series: “The Making of the Modern Muslim State: Islam and Governance in the Middle East and North Africa (Princeton University Press, 2024),” Malika Zeghal, Program in Islamic Law, February 11, 2025.
  • Islamic Law Speaker Series: “The Genealogy of the Death Penalty for Apostasy and Blasphemy in Islam” by Mohsen Kadivar, Program in Islamic Law, March 11, 2025.
  • Islamic Law Speaker Series: “A Cultural History of the Arabic Book: Digital Explorations of Writerly Practices and Text Reuse” by Sarah Savant, Program in Islamic Law, April 8, 2025.

Calendar:

  • Fellowship: M. C. Lang Fellowship in Book History, Bibliography, and Humanities Teaching with Historical Sources, Rare Book School, 2025-2026, December 9, 2024.
  • Conference: Law, colonialism and gender in the Muslim world, December 19-20, 2024.
  • Hurst Summer Institute 2025, University of Wisconsin-Madison Law School, January 15, 2025.
  • EUME Berliner Seminar: “The Politics of Choice: The 2003 Entry Law to Israel, the Phenomenology of Singlehood and Love Across Borders Among Palestinians” by Towibah Majdub, January 22, 2025.
  • Fellowship: The University Center for Human Values in Law and Normative Thinking 2025-26, Princeton University, January 22, 2025.
  • BRAIS Prize 2025: Call for Submissions, January 24, 2025.
  • Call for Editors: Law & Society Review, 2025-2026, February 1, 2025.
  • Call for Editors: Book Review Editor for Law & Society Review, 2025-2026, February 1, 2025.
  • Writing Workshop: The American Institute for Maghrib Studies Graduate Student Writing Workshop, February 27-28, 2025 (Application deadline: January 3, 2025).
  • Workshop: Annual Comparative Law Work-in-Progress Workshop, May 1-3, 2025 (Call for Papers deadline: February 5, 2024).
  • Call for Papers: “ Islamic and Jewish Law in the Modern Economy,” University of Villanova School of Law, Villanova, Pennsylvania, May 5-6, 2025 (Abstract submission deadline: January 31, 2025).
  • Conference: Eleventh Conference of the School of Mamluk Studies, Queen Mary University, UK, May 8-10, 2025 (Paper proposals: October 31, 2024; Panel proposals: November 30, 2024).
  • LSA 2025 Annual Meeting: Chicago, Illinois from May 22-25, 2025 (Early registration: December 3, 2024; registration: January 3, 2025).
  • Conference: Law, Culture, and Humanities 27th Annual Conference, Georgetown University, June 17-18, 2025 (Call for Papers deadline: January 31, 2025).
  • Conference: The Middle Ages in the Modern World, London Strand Campus, King’s College London, June 24-26, 2025 (Call for Papers deadline: January 13, 2025).
  • Conference: MESA 2025, Westin Downtown, Washington DC, November 22-25, 2025.
  • Position opening: Senior Lecturer in Law, History, and Society, Vanderbilt University, 2025.
  • 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.

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