The NYT reports on a radical figure in Afghanistan who uses what mainstream scholars of Islamic law around him call novel and excessively harsh interpretations of Islamic criminal law or “sharī'a” to dole out punishments and gain support from locals who incorrectly think these harsh interpretations have religious or historical precedent. This same figure also … Continue reading New debates about the use and abuse of Islamic criminal law in Afghanistan
Shifting Religious Landscapes: From Istanbul to Ayodhya
By Abtsam Saleh This post is part of the Digital Islamic Law Lab (DILL) series, in which a Harvard student analyzes a primary source of Islamic law, previously workshopped in the DIL Lab. On 9 November 2019, the Supreme Court of India declared the final judgement in the case regarding disputed land in the Ayodhya region in … Continue reading Shifting Religious Landscapes: From Istanbul to Ayodhya
Professor Mohammad Fadel on Muslims, Islam, and Bostock
Professor Mohammad Fadel, senior editor at SHARIAsource, explores Muslim perspectives on religious freedom pertaining to the Supreme Court's recent Bostock v. Clayton County (2020) decision on equal protection in "Professor Mohammad Fadel on Muslims, Islam, and Bostock". In this article, Fadel addresses disputes regarding the stances of some Muslims toward the rights of LGBTQ persons, … Continue reading Professor Mohammad Fadel on Muslims, Islam, and Bostock
Islamic Law & Law of the Muslim World eJournal: June 14th
This week’s issue of the Islamic Law & Law of the Muslim World eJournal includes: "The Limits of Liberal Inclusivity: How Defining Islamophobia Normalises Anti-Muslim Racism" by Rebecca Ruth Gould This paper (forthcoming in the Journal of Law and Religion) responds to recent calls made within the UK Parliament for a government-backed definition of Islamophobia. … Continue reading Islamic Law & Law of the Muslim World eJournal: June 14th
In the News: Sri Lanka’s Emergency Law
A ban on face coverings in Sri Lanka following the Easter Sunday attacks has once again highlighted the issue of restrictions on religious freedoms in response to public safety concerns. According to the ban: No person shall wear in any public place any garment, clothing or such other material concealing the full face which will … Continue reading In the News: Sri Lanka’s Emergency Law
Islamic Law Scholars’ Round-Up: May 13th
Asifa Quraishi-Landes, who teaches both Islamic law and U.S. constitutional law at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, was recently interviewed by Wisconsin Public Television on how the media can play a role in correcting misperceptions of Islamic law (the interview can be watched here). Meanwhile, Anver Emon, director of the Institute of Islamic Studies at the … Continue reading Islamic Law Scholars’ Round-Up: May 13th
Islamic Law Scholars’ Round-Up: Apr 22nd
Joseph Lowry, Associate Professor of Arabic and Islamic Studies at the University of Pennsylvania, was interviewed last month by FactCheck.org regarding a viral Facebook post which showed U.S. Congresswoman Ilhan Omar alongside distorted quotations from the Qurʾān. Lowry explained how "some of the interpretations given in the meme are mistranslated, and all of them are … Continue reading Islamic Law Scholars’ Round-Up: Apr 22nd
Recent Scholarship: Erie on Ḥalāl Food in China
Professor Matthew S. Erie (University of Oxford), an expert on Islamic law in China, just published an article in the Journal of Law and Religion on anti-sharīʿa sentiment in China and its impact on the ḥalāl food industry. "Shariʿa as Taboo of Modern Law: Halal Food, Islamophobia, and China" Abstract: Why is shariʿa the taboo … Continue reading Recent Scholarship: Erie on Ḥalāl Food in China
Islamic Law Scholars’ Round-Up: Apr 8
Last month, Asifa Quraishi-Landes and Nadia B. Ahmad published an article in the Washington Post discussing five common misconceptions about the ḥijāb. In addition, Zubair Abassi was quoted in an Al Jazeera article on the experiences of Pakistani women seeking divorces in the country’s family courts. (See also Abbasi’s 2017 SHARIAsource commentary comparing women’s right … Continue reading Islamic Law Scholars’ Round-Up: Apr 8
Commentary: Religious Opinions within Civil Discourse
By Professor Mohammad Fadel (University of Toronto, Faculty of Law) In a recent attempt to control religious discourse in Egypt, the chairperson of Egypt’s Supreme Media Regulatory Council (al-majlis al-aʿlā li-tanẓīm al-iʿlām), Makram Muhammad Ahmad, announced that only 50 people would be permitted to give an opinion (fatwā) pertaining to Islamic law. According to various … Continue reading Commentary: Religious Opinions within Civil Discourse