Author: Katherine Lemons

By Katherine Lemons In the preceding essay, I explored how rukhsati cases at the dar ul-qaza (Sharīʿa Court) of the Imarat-e-Sharia illuminate the dynamics of legal change from below. I … Continue reading The Materiality of Everyday Islamic law

By Katherine Lemons If, as I argued in the previous essay, the paradox of minority recognition cannot fully explain the workings of Islamic law or minority politics in India, then … Continue reading Muslim Personal Law as Struggle

By Katherine Lemons In my previous essay, I suggested that Muslim Personal Law (MPL) in postcolonial India functions as a powerful symbol—one that indexes the identity of the Muslim minority … Continue reading Muslim Personal Law as Community Outreach

By Katherine Lemons  What do everyday practices of Islamic law reveal about the political lives of minorities? I have returned to this question repeatedly in my research on Muslim communities … Continue reading Beyond Rights and Recognition: Muslim Personal Law in India