ISLAMIC LAW IN THE NEWS Pundits have argued that the Taliban's strict interpretation of Islamic law, including its many restrictions on the rights of women, is making it harder for international aid to reach Afghanistan. For more content and context on the recent developments in Afghanistan, consult our Editor-in-Chief, Professor Intisar Rabb's “Resource Roundup: Afghanistan, … Continue reading Islamic Law in the News Roundup
ISLAMIC LAW IN THE NEWS "US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said that 'when the Taliban enacted restrictive bans on higher education for women, governments from across the Muslim world spoke up to condemn the Taliban’s decision,' and that they argued that the actions were inhumane and contrary to Islamic beliefs." For more content and … Continue reading Islamic Law in the News Roundup
SCHOLARSHIP ROUNDUP On Islamic Law In Peace and Reconciliation in International Islamic Law (Cambridge Scholars Publishing, 2023), Kaleem Hussain (University of Birmingham) "presents a lucid analysis, observing how the sources of international law and Islamic Law help or hinder the pathway towards peace and reconciliation in selected conflict theatres: namely, Afghanistan, Palestine-Israel and Kashmir." In "Politics … Continue reading Weekend Scholarship Roundup
ISLAMIC LAW IN THE NEWS "Qatar’s halal economy has been witnessing massive growth, with the country encouraging core sectors with high growth potential to develop products and services prescribed by Islamic law, a state agency said." "The General Secretariat of the Council of Senior Scholars [of Saudi Arabia] rejected the call for the establishment of … Continue reading Islamic Law in the News Roundup
ISLAMIC LAW IN THE NEWS Jalal al-Qassab, Redha Rajab and Mohammed Rajab, three members of the progressive Bahraini think tank Al-Tajdeed, were sentenced to a year in jail and a fine for "ridiculing" Islam. The sentence is suspended, pending an appeal. For more content and context on harsh interpretations and applications of Islamic criminal law, … Continue reading Islamic Law in the News Roundup
By Elizabeth Lhost During my time as guest blogger this month, I’ve demonstrated how sources from the Indian princely states can help historians overcome the binaries, dichotomies, and oppositions that sometimes hamper the study of colonial legal change, especially in the context of understanding developments in the interpretation, administration, and governance of Islamic law. The … Continue reading Conclusion: Why the princely states? Why now? What’s next?
By Elizabeth Lhost For my final essay this month, I’ve selected the Deccan Law Reports for analysis. Law reports are a familiar genre for many legal historians, and the Deccan Law Reports are exemplars of the genre. Each volume includes cases dedicated to criminal (faujdārī) and civil (dīwānī) cases. There are also cases from the … Continue reading Dekan Lā Ripōrṫ: Familiar genres, unfamiliar stories
ISLAMIC LAW IN THE NEWS Redha Rajab, his son Mohamed Rajab, and researcher Jalal al-Qassab, members of the progressive Al-Tajdeed Society in Bahrain, are "accused of violating articles 309 and 310 of the Bahraini penal code, says Bahrain’s cybercrime prosecutor. In the code, expressions that mock Bahrain’s 'recognized religious texts' are illegal." " [T]wo prominent … Continue reading Islamic Law in the News Roundup
By Elizabeth Lhost In March 1950, Muḥyī-ud-dīn Ṣāḥib sent a request to the dār al-iftāʾ (office for issuing fatwās, judicial opinions) of the Ṣadārat al-ʿĀliya (ecclesiastical department) of the princely state of Hyderabad in which he raised a question about “Zayd’s” use of a registered letter (“regisṫarḋ khaṭ”) to notify his wife of their irrevocable … Continue reading Naql-i Rejisṫarḋ khaṭ: Letters, postcards, and telegrams as sources of law
By Elizabeth Lhost The first farmān (order) (pictured below) in a volume titled Farāmīn-i Niẓāmat-i dār al-qażāʿ-yi balada, min ibtidāʿ–yi sana-yi 1339 H li-ghāyata-yi sana-yi 1350 H, daftar-i Senṫral Rikārḋ, Ḥukūmat-i Ḥaidarābād (Orders from the office of the qażī of the city, from the start of year 1339 AH to the end of year 1350 … Continue reading Farāmīn-i Niẓāmat: Looking at legal layers in a royal decree
