Karnataka High Court’s Interpretation of Islamic Sources: Ḥijāb is Not “Part of Essential Religious Practice in Islam”

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By Raha Rafii In the last few decades, courts in India have been increasingly settling matters of whether details of Muslim personal law, which include matters of marriage, divorce, and inheritance, continue to be applicable. During the British colonial period, the various religious communities in India had been governed by their own personal status laws,[1] … Continue reading Karnataka High Court’s Interpretation of Islamic Sources: Ḥijāb is Not “Part of Essential Religious Practice in Islam”

Weekend Scholarship Roundup

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SCHOLARSHIP ROUNDUP On Islamic Law: In "Review: Syed Mahmood; Colonial India’s Dissenting Judge by Mohammad Nasir and Samreen Ahmad" (Hindustan Times, May 23, 2022), Shafey Kidwai (Aligarh Muslim University) reviews the book Syed Mahmood: Colonial India’s Dissenting Judge (Bloomsbury 2022). In "Methodology for Studying the Relationship between Islamic Law and National Customs in the Uzbek … Continue reading Weekend Scholarship Roundup

Karnataka High Court Order Upholds Ḥijāb Ban in Government Schools

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By Raha Rafii On March 15, 2022, the Karnataka High Court[1] dismissed petitions against its Interim Order[2] upholding the Government Order[3] dated May 2, 2022 banning ḥijāb in government schools in the state of Karnataka, India. The Court dismissed a few petitions based on lack of sufficient evidence, while dismissing the arguments of the remaining … Continue reading Karnataka High Court Order Upholds Ḥijāb Ban in Government Schools

In Interim Order, Karnataka High Court Upholds Government Order Banning Hijab

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By Raha Rafii In December 2021, a dispute broke out at Government Pre-University College for Girls in the state of Karnataka, India, where six students demanded to wear the headscarf/ḥijāb on school grounds.[1] This action set off several protests and counter-protests over subsequent months in multiple districts, including students wearing saffron shawls to assert religious … Continue reading In Interim Order, Karnataka High Court Upholds Government Order Banning Hijab

Islamic Law in the News Roundup

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ISLAMIC LAW IN THE NEWS Some pundits have argued that the recent presidential campaign in France, and the candidates' statements about Islam "that seek[] to protect laïcité and regulate Islam contradictorily entangle[] state and religion ever closer." "Al-Azhar Grand Imam Ahmed al-Tayyeb announced that congratulating Christians on holidays is not out of courtesy or formalities … Continue reading Islamic Law in the News Roundup

Islamic Law in the News Roundup

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ISLAMIC LAW IN THE NEWS Jocelyn Hendrickson's book, Leaving Iberia: Islamic Law and Christian Conquest in North West Africa (Harvard UP, 2021), has been shortlisted for the Canadian Historical Association's Wallace K. Ferguson book prize. As Muslims worldwide have begun observing Ramadan, Islamic scholars have explained why Muslims fast during this month. The Chief Minister … Continue reading Islamic Law in the News Roundup

Islamic Law in the News Roundup

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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

Weekend Scholarship Roundup

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SCHOLARSHIP ROUNDUP On Islamic Law: Authors as Readers in the Mamlūk Period and Beyond (ed. Élise Franssen, Venice: Edizioni Ca' Foscari, 2022) "gathers eight contributions investigating the readings of different authors [of Islamic law] from different points of view," with an emphasis on scrutinizing the works these authors have read. In "The Pandemic and the … Continue reading Weekend Scholarship Roundup

Islamic Law in the News Roundup

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ISLAMIC LAW IN THE NEWS Following the ruling by the Karnataka (India) High Court that hijāb is not an "essential" part of Islam, advocates have started preparing to take the case to the Supreme Court of India. Islamic scholars have taken issue with the Karnataka High Court's recent ruling on hijāb not being an "essential" … Continue reading Islamic Law in the News Roundup

Islamic Law in the News Roundup

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ISLAMIC LAW IN THE NEWS In its largest execution ever, Saudi Arabia put 81 people to death, convicted of various crimes, including rape and murder, despite the Crown Prince's earlier statements that the death penalty would not be used liberally by the courts. The Supreme Court of Pakistan recently ruled that a father's gift of … Continue reading Islamic Law in the News Roundup