Posts tagged "sharia"
Rethinking Mali’s Political Culture
by Alex Thurston The MNLA and Ansar al Din have dominated the headlines about Mali this spring and summer. But how have other Malian Muslims reacted to the crisis in the north, and to the partial “Islamization” of the conflict by Ansar al Din?
Mass Wedding in Kano
by Alex Thurston A recent story from Nigeria, one that touches on both marriage and shari’a, offers the possibility of a more sophisticated analysis of marriage in Africa as well as shari'a law.
Schooling Muslims in Northern Nigeria: Politics, Policies and Conclusions
by Alex Thurston Government-run Islamic schools, then, are to be a source of “counter-radicalization” as well as a means of moving almajirai into more “productive” schools. But the policy is unlikely to succeed.
Identity, Crisis: Shari’a Law in Nigerian Politics
by Alex Thurston
In 1999, Nigeria made global headlines when Northern states began re-implementing “full shari’a,” i.e. Islamic law codes that included criminal penalties for acts like theft, adultery, and drinking alcohol. The shari’a project in Northern Nigeria caused further controversy when...Pictures at an Exhibition
By Abby Ohlheiser
Photos by Merel van Beeren
"Why should a dog, a horse, a rat have life, and the Hartmanns perish??" --Modest Petrovich Mussorgsky
I was sitting in a French-style chain cafe (sorry America), finishing my croissant, talking to Merel, when we heard the opening notes of "The Star Spangled Banner." It was a restrained, beautiful choral...
Wiesenfeld’s Obsessions
Examine what is said, not him who speaks. - Arab Proverb
According to The Forward, it's tough times for City University of New York trustee, Jeffrey Wiesenfeld, the man who opposed awarding winning playwright Tony Kusher an honorary degree last week. But Wiesenfeld, a former FBI counterintelligence agent who grew up on the Bronx streets...
Shari’ah, Fearing the Unknown
In news story after news story, the fear of Islam -- and specifically of "creeping" Shari'ah law -- is confirmed in headlines. From the Oklahoma law passed during midterm elections that banned Shari'ah (and was later blocked by a state judge) to the protest of mosques (or mosque-like buildings!) under construction...
It’s Not Even About A Mosque This Time
Elissa Lerner: Have you been losing sleep over the crippling anxiety that Islamic law might one day trump Constitutional law? Fear not - Oklahoma is on the case! "Save Our State" question 755 banning shari'a law from the Sooner State passed with a whopping 70% of the vote on Tuesday. In a "pre-emptive...
The Perversion of the Shari’ah and
the Limits of Tolerance
By Tariq al-Jamil
This article is part of an ongoing series that examines what Shari'ah is, how the media often get it wrong, and how it’s being used to create fear of Islam and Muslims and to justify continued military defense of “American values.”
There are multiple levels of historical misinformation that fuel the manifold...Contesting the Sharia:
The Ideological Interpretation
(and Misinterpretation) of Islamic Law
by Najam Haider
The proposed construction of a mosque in the vicinity of Ground Zero in New York City has raised an outcry from a number of critics including (but not limited to) former Alaska Governor Sarah Palin and former Speaker of the House (and potential 2012 presidential candidate) Newt Gingrich. In a July 28, 2010...
The Problem of Equating Shari’ah with Law
This article is the first of an ongoing series that will examine what shari’ah is, how the media often get it wrong, and how it’s being used to create fear of Islam and Muslims and to justify continued military defense of “American values.”
by Hussein Rashid
Every time I hear someone on TV mention “shari’ah,” I think...
