Islamic Law in the News Roundup

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ISLAMIC LAW IN THE NEWS

  • “Professor Dr. Ahmed Al Tayyeb, Grand Imam of Al Azhar, received Judge Mohamed Abdelsalam, Secretary General of the Muslim Council of Elders, at Al Azhar headquarters. The Grand Imam commended Judge Abdelsalam’s dedication to Al Azhar and his contributions to promoting human fraternity at regional and global levels.”
  • “The Islamic police in the northern Nigerian state of Kano have arrested Muslims seen eating and drinking publicly, as well as those selling food at the start of Ramadan, when Muslims are supposed to fast from dawn until dusk.”
  • “His Majesty King Abdullah II [of Jordan], the Supreme Commander of the Armed Forces, attended an iftar banquet on Thursday evening, accompanied by His Royal Highness Crown Prince Hussein bin Abdullah II.”
  • Commenting on Ramadan observance in the United Kingdom, one commentator wrote: “Over the past few years, perhaps thanks to social media, Ramadan has become increasingly commercialised as major companies wake up to how lucrative the so-called Muslim pound is – estimated to be worth more than £20.5bn. But this year things feel more unabashedly consumerist than ever.”
  • In Malaysia, “[a] study by women’s rights group Sisters in Islam (SIS) has found that low-income Muslim women in Selangor and Kuala Lumpur face significant financial challenges after divorce due to failures in enforcement and bureaucratic barriers. The study, which surveyed 124 women from the B40 income group, found that only 12.9% of those who filed joint property claims (harta sepencarian) received their due, while just 5.6% obtained spousal maintenance (nafkah).”
  • In Malaysia, “[t]he Department of Islamic Development Malaysia (JAKIM) has standardized Friday sermon texts at the federal level to ensure that Islamic teachings delivered in mosques remain free from political overtones.”
  • The Malaysian King, Sultan Ibrahim granted royal assent to six bills, now been enacted into law, as acts of Parliament. The newly enacted laws are:
    1. Syariah Court Civil Procedure (Federal Territories) (Amendment) Act 2025
    2. Data Sharing Act 2025
    3. National Wages Consultative Council (Amendment) Act 2025
    4. Administration of Islamic Law (Federal Territories) (Amendment) Act 2025
    5. Trustee (Incorporation) (Amendment) Act 2025
    6. Trustee (Amendment) Act 2025
  • “The mosque in Altadena, which served a tight-knit Muslim community for 42 years, burned to the ground in one of the Los Angeles area’s deadliest fires in January — leaving the congregation heartbroken and without a place to pray and break their upcoming Ramadan fast together.”

CASES AND FATWĀS

  • “On the eve of the holy month of Ramadan, the Chairman of the Council of Ulema of Tajikistan (the only fatwa-issuing body in the country), Saidmukarram Abdulqodirzoda, issued a fatwa stating that workers of the Roghun hydropower plant (HPP) are allowed to break their fast on workdays.”
  • “Sheikh Mustapha Benhamza, a member of Morocco’s Supreme Council of Ulema, has called for a measured and informed discussion on proposals to regulate the Eid al-Adha sacrificial ritual. . . . The Moroccan sheikh also warned against hasty interpretations that blur the lines between religious rulings and state policy, saying that fatwas require careful consideration of economic and social realities rather than rigid application of religious texts.”
  • A fatwā issued on the question of whether botox injunctions are permissible under Islamic law deems such injections permissible only if they satisfy the following conditions: “not for purposes that are contrary to sharia; using halal and pure ingredients; the actions taken are guaranteed to be safe; not harmful, either to oneself, others, or the environment; and carried out by competent and trustworthy experts.”
  • In Syria, the “Ministry of Endowments (Awqaf) has announced the adoption of the Muslim World League timing to determine the times of prayer, fasting, and breaking the fast, emphasizing commitment to providing the best means to ensure that Muslims perform their worship at precise times.”
  • “The Nigerian Supreme Council for Islamic Affairs (NSCIA) has called for equity and fairness to all sections and segments in Nigeria and recommended passage of the Tax Reform Bills before the National Assembly.”
  • In India, “Muslim religious and community leaders have urged the government to respect constitutional values and withdraw the Wakf Amendment Bill 2024to uphold the religious rights of all citizens.” “Dakshina Kannada Waqf Advisory Committee President alleged that the bill is an attack on the religious freedom of Muslims and the amendment aims to seize Waqf properties and remove community control over their management.”
  • In India, “[t]he All India Muslim Personal Law Board (AIMPLB) has challenged the Uniform Civil Code (UCC) law in the Uttarakhand High Court, according to an official statement.”
  • “The Rajasthan High Court [India] has observed that a Mosque, a place used for religious purposes such as praying Namaz, comes within the definition of ‘Waqf’ as per Section 3 (r) of the Waqf Act 1995.”
  • “A Republican legislator [asked] Texas‘ top prosecutor to investigate a planned Muslim-centric neighborhood in Dallas-Fort Worth over concerns that it may ‘incorporate elements of Shariah law’ into its operations.” For more content and context on “anti-sharī’a legislation” in the United States, see Will Smiley’s article for the Journal of Islamic Law titled “The Other Muslim Bans: State Legislation Against ‘Islamic Law.‘”

UPCOMING EVENTS AND OPPORTUNITIES

PIL & Harvard Calendar:

Calendar:

  • Award: 2025 LCH Julien Mezey Dissertation Award, March 15, 2025.
  • Online Talk: “The Constitutional Imagination of the Taliban in Afghanistan” with Shamsad Pasarlay, Florida State University, March 20, 2025.
  • Postdoctoral Fellowship: Europe in the Middle East – The Middle East in Europe (EUME), Berlin, March 26, 2025.
  • Call for Submissions: Journal of Legal Research & Analysis, volume 3, issue 1, April 15, 2025.
  • IISMM Seminar Series: “The Economics of Waqf: From the Imperial to the Personal,” IISMM, France (remote option), April 18, 2025.
  • Conference: The 2025 Annual Conference of the Humanities and Social Sciences at LUMS, Lahore, April 18-20, 2025.
  • Symposium: 12th Annual Graduate Symposium, hosted by the McGill Institute of Islamic Studies Student Council (MIISSC), Montreal, April 24, 2025 (deadline February 17, 2025).
  • Call for Papers: Symposium on Legal Education in the Age of Generative Artificial Intelligence, Royal Holloway University University of London, April 30, 2025 (deadline March 15, 2025).
  • Grant: MESA Global Academy 2025 – 2026 Application, May 1, 2025.
  • Workshop: Annual Comparative Law Work-in-Progress Workshop, May 1-3, 2025 (Call for Papers deadline: February 5, 2025).
  • Call for Papers: 39th Annual Middle East History and Theory Conference (MEHAT), University of Chicago, May 2-3, 2025 (Deadline: January 31, 2025).
  • 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).
  • IISMM Seminar Series: “From Jerusalem to India: Endowments and Gender Influences,” IISMM, France, May 16, 2025.
  • LSA 2025 Annual Meeting: Chicago, Illinois from May 22-25, 2025 (Early registration: December 3, 2024; registration: January 3, 2025).
  • Call for Papers: “Towards a Global Ecological-Economic Legal Framework,” ESIL IG, Paris, June 6-7, 2025 (deadline February 28, 2025).
  • 2025 Hurst Summer Institute: Legal History, University of Wisconsin Law School, June 15-27, 2025.
  • Conference: Law, Culture, and Humanities 27th Annual Conference, Georgetown University, June 17-18, 2025 (Call for Papers deadline: January 31, 2025).
  • IISMM Seminar Series: “Waqfs, women and circles of power,” IISMM, France (remote option), June 20, 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).
  • Summer Language Intensive Program: Istanbul University Institute for Islamic Studies, July 7 – August 8, 2025.
  • Summer School: Philology and Manuscripts from the Muslim World, Leiden University, August 18-29, 2025 (Application deadline: May 5, 2025).
  • Faculty Fellow: Faculty Fellow in Near Eastern Studies, New York University, 2025-2026, September 1, 2025 (Deadline: March 24, 2025).
  • Call for Papers: ASLH 2025 Annual Meeting, Detroit, MI, November 13-15, 2025 (Deadline: March 25, 2025).
  • Conference: MESA 2025, Westin Downtown, Washington DC, November 22-25, 2025 (Proposal deadline: February 13, 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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