Weekend Scholarship Roundup

SCHOLARSHIP ROUNDUP On Islamic Law: In "The Hoax in the ISIS Flag" (Newlinesmag.org, October 28, 2021), Ahmed El Shamsy (Chicago University) explains how a forged letter, presented by a French … Continue reading Weekend Scholarship Roundup

ʾAlī al-Sīstānī: Guiding Conduct of Pro-Government Militias in Iraq

By Marta Wojtowicz Description: The Advice and Guidance to the Fighters on the Battlefields[1] was issued by ʾAlī al-Sistānī in February 2015 and directed to the fighters involved in the … Continue reading ʾAlī al-Sīstānī: Guiding Conduct of Pro-Government Militias in Iraq

Does ISIS Really Follow the Salafī Version of Islamic Law and Theology?

Guest contributor Jacob Olidort critically examines ISIS's claim of adherence to the doctrine of Salafism, a popular orientation among conservative Muslim clerics who attempt to model their actions on a … Continue reading Does ISIS Really Follow the Salafī Version of Islamic Law and Theology?

The Construction and Failure of Islamic Laws of Evidence in ISIS’s State-Building Project

Guest contributor Mara Revkin outlines the legal infrastructure of ISIS. She argues that the movement's barbarism and apparently wanton acts of terrorism belies a self-contained legal system based on Islamic … Continue reading The Construction and Failure of Islamic Laws of Evidence in ISIS’s State-Building Project