SCHOLARSHIP ROUNDUP On Islamic Law In "Can the Taliban Be Convinced to Reverse Course?" (Human Rights Watch, February 12, 2023), John Sifton and Fereshta Abbasi (HRW), commenting on the Taliban's policies regarding women, argue that "[n]o country can function with half its adult population locked up at home." In "Project Illumine — a Qur’an commentary … Continue reading Weekend Scholarship Roundup
ISLAMIC LAW IN THE NEWS Borno State Governor (Nigeria), Professor Babagana Zulum, urged the Nigerian "government to establish an institutional framework that would guide the conduct of fatwa." As Saudi Arabia is debating amending its blood money law, some sources have reported that the Shoura Council considering the amendments declined to discuss inserting the following … Continue reading Islamic Law in the News Roundup
ISLAMIC LAW IN THE NEWS In reportedly the first case in which a New Zealand court was asked to consider Islamic law, a Wellington court ordered "the payment of a dower set out in a marriage contract solemnized under sharia law in the UAE." A Muslim slaughterhouse in D.C., which started its operations after delays … Continue reading Islamic Law in the News Roundup
ISLAMIC LAW IN THE NEWS An Islamic clerics board in India, in response to the Karnataka High Court that ruled that hijāb is not an essential part of Islamic law, stated that the court's interpretation was based on an erroneous interpretation of the Qur'ān. The board claimed: "In its impugned Judgment, the High Court of … Continue reading Islamic Law in the News Roundup
ISLAMIC LAW IN THE NEWS Saudi Arabia has approved new personal status laws that aim to enhance the legal status of women and children by enhancing alimony rights of women for childcare, among other things. The Saudi Crown Prince stated that the new laws are "comprehensive in addressing all the problems that the family and … Continue reading Islamic Law in the News Roundup
ISLAMIC LAW IN THE NEWS The hijāb controversy in India, occasioned by a university administration refusing to admit some Muslim students wearing the Islamic veil, has been ongoing, with a court case regarding the matter still pending before Indian courts. The Karnataka government, the Indian state in which the controversy has taken place, has so … Continue reading Islamic Law in the News Roundup
ISLAMIC LAW IN THE NEWS The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints recently published an informational pamphlet stressing "shared practices and beliefs" their faith community shares with Muslims, to which Luna Banuri, executive director of Utah Muslim Civic League, responded: "They did a very good job in presenting a holistic view of Islam that … Continue reading Islamic Law in the News Roundup
ISLAMIC LAW IN THE NEWS After retiring from the NBA, Hakeem Olajuwon launched a successful career in real estate, all the while avoiding borrowing money for his acquisitions that would result in paying or charging interest, which contradicts his faith. Al Barakeh Wheat - a project founded by two Jordanians - teaches people how to … 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
Egypt's fatwā authority, Dar Al-Ifta, issued a new edition of Insight magazine that it publishes in English, which discusses women's rights in Islam. In "What is and isnt' Shariah?," Ekrem Bugra Ekinci (Daily Sabah) states that sharī'a is ultimately an effort by scholars to identify and interpret divine rules, which allows for greater flexibility. UN … Continue reading Islamic Law in the News Roundup
