Commentary :: Ethiopia’s 1999 Federal Courts of Sharia Consolidation Proclamation: The Function of the Sharīʿa Courts

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By Michael Kebede Introduction The Federal Courts of Sharia Consolidation Proclamation, enacted in 1999 by the House of People’s Representatives, reorganizes Ethiopia’s official sharīʿa courts to conform with the country’s newly established federal court system.[1] Before Ethiopia’s current regime came to power in 1991, a de jure centralized court system run by a unitary state … Continue reading Commentary :: Ethiopia’s 1999 Federal Courts of Sharia Consolidation Proclamation: The Function of the Sharīʿa Courts

European Court of Human Rights Rules Against Forcing Greek Muslim Minority to Follow Islamic Law

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Last week, the European Court of Human Rights (which examines alleged violations of the 1950 European Convention on Human Rights) handed down its long-anticipated decision in Molla Sali v. Greece, a case about Islamic legal pluralism in Europe and the rights of religious minorities. Stay tuned to the SHARIAsourceBlog for a roundtable discussion on this … Continue reading European Court of Human Rights Rules Against Forcing Greek Muslim Minority to Follow Islamic Law

In the News: Triple Ṭalāq Criminalized in India

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About three months ago, the Indian government formally criminalized “triple ṭalāq” divorce—an instant and irrevocable divorce under some versions of Islamic law where a husband can unilaterally divorce his wife by saying the word ṭalāq (divorce) three times. The Supreme Court of India had ruled last August that the practice of “triple ṭalāq” was unconstitutional. … Continue reading In the News: Triple Ṭalāq Criminalized in India

In the News: Islamic Courts in Greek Thrace

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Last month, National Geographic published a photo essay on a Muslim minority community (known as Pomaks) who live in northeastern Greece, in a small, remote region called Western Thrace. What makes this region unique is that it is the only place in the European Union that has Islamic courts that are recognized by the national … Continue reading In the News: Islamic Courts in Greek Thrace

SYMPOSIUM :: On “The Independent Review into the Application of Sharia Law in England and Wales” by the UK Home Office

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Response #1: Blurred Boundaries; Muddied Waters or Multiculturalism Gone Astray? Some Reflections on "The Independent Review into the Application of Sharia Law in England and Wales" By Shaheen Sardar Ali Professor of Law, University of Warwick "The independent review into the application of sharia law in England and Wales" [1] was presented to the UK … Continue reading SYMPOSIUM :: On “The Independent Review into the Application of Sharia Law in England and Wales” by the UK Home Office

Historical Primary Sources: Report of the Panel of Jurists Appointed by the Northern Region Government to Examine the Legal and Judicial Systems of the Region

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On July 28, 1958, the colonial government of the Northern Region of Nigeria appointed a panel of jurists to examine the multiple systems of law existing in the region and to make recommendations for avoiding conflict among those plural systems. The multiple systems of law were English common law, British colonial statutory law, customary law, … Continue reading Historical Primary Sources: Report of the Panel of Jurists Appointed by the Northern Region Government to Examine the Legal and Judicial Systems of the Region

Contemporary Primary Sources: “Shariah Law in Aceh”

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This English-language summary issued by the Acehnese government (Indonesia) explains the all-encompassing role of sharīʿa in Aceh. It clarifies that sharīʿa does not apply to non-Muslims, and that its implementation in no way repudiates human rights standards, including freedom of religion. Read the document.

In Response to the Indian Supreme Court’s Recent Decision on Triple Ṭalāq: A Legislative Proposal

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The Indian Supreme Court's decision on triple ṭalāq declared it unconstitutional, and gave the legislature six months to decide on appropriate reform. Pakistan editor Zubair Abbasi responds to the decision and outlines considerations the legislature should address. "According to media reports, triple ṭalāq (instant, irrevocable divorce initiated by a husband in some versions of Islamic law) epitomizes … Continue reading In Response to the Indian Supreme Court’s Recent Decision on Triple Ṭalāq: A Legislative Proposal