ISLAMIC LAW IN THE NEWS
- “Egypt’s Dar al-Ifta, founded in 1895…celebrates its 130th anniversary” this week. The organization is also “preparing for the Second International Symposium of the General Secretariat for Fatwa Authorities” later this month, which “will launch key initiatives—including a Fatwa and Human Dignity Charter, Fatwa Standards for Sustainable Development, and a Fatwa for Humanity Platform—aimed at transforming fatwa work into a research-based, socially impactful system.”
- In a recent interview, Malaysian director Erma Fatima expressed a desire to “produce syariah-compliant works that do not have scenes of man-woman intimacy and overtly revealing dresses.”
- “A revered Islamic scholar and leader of the Tijjaniyya order, Sheikh Dahiru Usman Bauchi, is dead. The cleric died early Thursday at the age of 102. The Bauchi State [Nigeria] Governor, Bala Mohammed, described his death as a profound national loss….’Sheikh Dahiru Usman Bauchi was a towering figure in Islamic scholarship. He embodied deep faith, humility, and wisdom throughout his remarkable life,’ the governor said.”
- “For decades, financial exclusion has been a significant hurdle for entrepreneurs in Ethiopia’s Somali region. However, a transformative partnership between the International Labour Organization (ILO) and Shabelle Bank has introduced ‘Aisha‘ – a dedicated Sharia-compliant financial product…ensuring that refugees and host communities in the area can access credit without compromising their faith.”
- “The Islamic Religious Council of Singapore has replaced physical halal certificates with digital versions featuring QR codes that allow instant verification of validity and approval type. The move promises faster checks but raises the bar on traceability.”
- “Imam Malik College for Sharia and Law has organised its third International Scientific Conference titled ‘Maliki Jurisprudence and Its Impact on the Legislation of the United Arab Emirates Amid Contemporary Needs and Developments‘….The conference aims to highlight the role of Maliki jurisprudence as one of the main sources that contributed to shaping the UAE’s legislative framework by examining its influence on civil, criminal, and personal status laws. It will also explore its role in addressing emerging legislative issues…[including] artificial intelligence and Islamic economics.”
CASES, FATWĀS, LEGISLATION ON ISLAMIC LAW
- The availability of alcoholic beverages on Malaysian Airlines flights “has caused consternation among local lawmakers, who argue that the national carrier of a Muslim-majority country should not be serving alcohol.” “The push for the ban was led by conservative members of the PAS party, part of the ruling coalition. They have suggested replacing alcoholic beverages with local favourites such as sirap bandung and cendol.”
- Also in Malaysia, “the government is drafting a new Syariah Courts Bill to introduce clearer and more specific legal provisions on parental maintenance and care, in a move aimed at strengthening the protection of elderly parents who are frail, without income, or unable to support themselves.” For more content and context on Islamic law in Malaysia, consult our Editor-in-Chief Professor Intisar Rabb’s “Legislation and Regulation of Islamic Law in Malaysia” and its appended resource roundup.
- “Saudi Arabia has seemingly further loosened its restrictions on the sale of alcohol, with a number of foreign residents saying they were able to purchase drinks from the kingdom’s sole liquor store. Though the kingdom’s first liquor store was opened in Riyadh in January 2024, it was intended only to cater for foreign non-Muslim diplomats. However, locals with premium visa status confirmed to AFP that the rules had been quietly changed.”
- In India, “a quiet but consequential shift is unfolding in Kerala’s Muslim community: growing numbers of couples are remarrying under the Special Marriage Act to ensure equal inheritance rights for their daughters. Challenging long-held norms of Muslim personal law, this trend—most visible in the northern districts—is drawing sharp criticism from conservative clergy but gaining steady momentum among families seeking legal gender equity.”
- “Abu Dhabi Family, Civil and Administrative Cases Court obligated a woman to pay Dhs350,000 in compensation to the parent of a 14-year-old girl….The court explained that the loss of the minor’s right kidney constituted the loss of an entire organ, for which full blood money of Dhs200,000 was due according to Islamic law” plus other damages.
- “When Gov. Greg Abbott branded the Council on American-Islamic Relations a foreign terrorist organization, he claimed its executive director boasted Muslims were ready to hold public office and advance ‘Sharia law’ in the U.S. The following day, he urged an investigation into entities he said may be ‘masquerading as legal courts’ and enforcing Sharia law in Texas….In interviews with the Houston Chronicle, religion experts disagreed with the GOP rhetoric.”
UPCOMING EVENTS AND OPPORTUNITIES
PIL & Harvard Events:
- Workshop: Arabic TEI (Textual Encoding Initiative), April 2–3, 2026
PIL & Harvard Opportunities:
- Call for Applications: Berkman Klein Center Fellowship 2026 and 2026–2027, December 5, 2025 @11:59 pm
Other Events:
- Conference: Faith, Values, and the Rule of Law—An Interdisciplinary Conference, Seton Hall University School of Law, February February 4–5, 2026
- Conference: American Society for Premodern Asia Annual Meeting, Los Angeles, CA, April 24–27, 2026
- Workshop: The Law and Humanities Workshop for Junior Scholars, University of Pennsylvania Carey Law School, June 8–9, 2026
- Conference: Association for the Study of Law, Culture, and the Humanities Annual Conference, Chicago, June 17–18, 2026
Other Opportunities:
- Call for Papers: The Law and Humanities Workshop for Junior Scholars, University of Pennsylvania Carey Law School, December 1, 2025
- Position Opening: Tenure-track/tenured open-rank faculty appointments in Legal Studies, NYU Abu Dhabi, December 1, 2025 @11:59pm
- Call for Submissions: Journal of Trends in Intellectual Property Research, Volume 3, Issue 2, December 29, 2025
- Call for Submissions: Journal of Legal Research & Analysis, Volume 3, Issue 2, December 29, 2025
- Call for Submissions: Fusayfsa’, the Smith College student-led Middle East Studies Journal, January 30th, 2026
- Call for Papers: Association for the Study of Law, Culture, and the Humanities Annual Conference, Chicago, January 31, 2026
- Call for Papers: Middle Eastern and Islamic Studies (MEIS) Graduate Student Virtual Symposium, University of Alberta, February 2, 2026
- Position Opening: Visiting Assistant Professor of Medieval Middle East, Colby College, July 1, 2026