ISLAMIC LAW IN THE NEWS Following the Taliban's rise to power, many law students and lawyers from Afghanistan have reported that "[i]t is not the application of Islamic criminal law that frightens [them], it is that it is applied without due process." Haroun Rahimi, a self-exiled Afghan who was a professor of law at Kabul … Continue reading Islamic Law in the News Roundup
The United States' withdrawal from Afghanistan, and the Taliban's subsequent takeover of the country has brought, once again, Islam and Islamic law to the fore in recent news coverage, reports, and analyses. This renewed attention to Islamic law is in part due to the fact that the Taliban identifies itself as a Muslim military organization … Continue reading Resource Roundup: Afghanistan, the Taliban, and Islamic Law
Suzanne Schneider, deputy director at the Brooklyn Institute for Social Research, commented that the Islamic State and the US far-right, including groups such as QAnon, share the same roots - failed governance. Haibatullah Akhundzada, the supreme leader of the Taliban, urged the new Afghan government to uphold sharī'a. Islamic scholars have warned that comparing Texas' … Continue reading Islamic Law in the News Roundup
In "Recasting Islamic Law: Religion and the Nation State in Egyptian Constitution Making" (Cornell University Press, forthcoming), Rachel M. Scott (Virginia Tech) examines how Islamic law is reshaped into state law in Egypt's constitutional legal system, with a particular focus on post-2011 developments.
Egypt's President Sisi named two new members to the Al-Azhar Council for Senior Scholars, the government institution that is regarded as having final authority to determine whether legislation is compliant with Islamic law. The Islamic Affairs and Charitable Activities Department in Dubai (IACAD) reported that it received 4,000 fatwā and 2,000 shahāda (declaration of belief … Continue reading Islamic Law in the News Roundup
Ahmadullah, a prominent Muslim cleric from Bangladesh, issued a fatwā stating that using the laughing emoji to mock people is forbidden under Islamic law. Muslim women in Kenya have lobbied the government to ensure that a woman is appointed to the top Kadhi court adjudicating Islamic law matters. A new Pew Research study found that … Continue reading Islamic Law in the News Roundup
As talks between the Afghan government and the Taliban continue, the US peace envoy to Afghanistan, Zalmay Khalizad's proposal circulated to both parties includes "a High Council for Islamic Jurisprudence," to advise ordinary courts as to matters involving the interpretation of Islamic law. Austrian Muslims have planned to sue the Austrian government under the leadership … Continue reading Islamic Law in the News Roundup
By Zainab Hashmi 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. In October 2016, the Majlis-e-Shoora (Parliament) passed legislation amending the Pakistan Penal Code, 1860 (Act XLV of 1860) and the Code of Criminal Procedure, … Continue reading Criminal Law (Amendment): Offences in the Name or Pretext of Honor Act, 2016 Passed by Majlis-e-Shoora (Parliament) of Pakistan
As Somalia continues to debate over what to include in its new constitution and when to hold a referendum on it, women's rights have emerged as a divisive point of discussion among the country's politicians. A former member of the Central Bank of Nigeria has urged the institution to establish a special tribunal to resolve … Continue reading Islamic Law in the News Roundup
Iran's Guardian Council, the 12-member entity tasked with, among other things, ensuring the compatibility of legislation with Iran's Constitution, launched its English website. The UAE authorities announced a new rule that makes it mandatory for companies listed on any UAE stock exchange to have at least one woman on their board of directors. Saudi Arabia … Continue reading Islamic Law in the News Roundup
