This year promises even more excitement, and it brings a number of changes. The first and most exciting is the launch of a new Program in Islamic Law (PIL) at Harvard Law School. Formerly a part of Harvard’s Islamic Legal Studies Program, PIL will continue the mission of
promoting cutting-edge research and comprehensive resources on the academic study of Islamic law
. The new Program will continue to
offer fellowships
(applications due soon!); host events that range from workshops and conferences to book talks and an Islamic law lecture series; support students through grants, a writing prize, and RA opportunities; publish occasional papers and books, and continue to build platforms to host a
digital library
of Islamic law.
Second, we are restructuring
SHARIAsource
— the online portal designed to provide comprehensive content and context on Islamic law — and launching a separate space for scholarship on Islamic law. As we curate more material and expand our digitization projects, SHARIAsource will house the digital library of Islamic law, exclusively devoted to its primary sources, with a goal of collecting the world’s information on Islamic law. This Portal will provide as many sources as possible under one e-roof and provide e-windows onto other collections. Academic commentary, debate, and analysis of those sources will be featured in three new platforms to come: a peer-reviewed
Journal
for scholarly articles; a
Forum
for scholarly debate, symposia, and case notes; and a revamped
Blog
for discussion of recent scholarship, cases, and other new developments in Islamic law.
Third, we are working with data scientists to add AI and machine learning to the mix, in programs we call Digital Islamic Law. We are deep in the midst of developing a set of tools designed to help researchers better access and collaborate on work relating to the sources:
StackLife
—a visual browser for the growing library of digitized collections, an
Arabic OCR Reader
to better process them, and
database of
Islamic Courts and Canons
—an expert crowd-sourced project that will house biographical details of judges, jurists, and
ḥadīth
scholars to which any scholar of Islamic law is welcome to contribute and which anyone will be free to use.
We look forward to continuing our mission of supporting research and resources in Islamic legal studies, in collaboration with students and scholars globally. These changes will facilitate that mission, and we look forward to your thoughts and input. Thank you for your engagement thus far. Onward!
Sincerely,
Intisar Rabb
Director, Program in Islamic Law
Editor-in-Chief, SHARIAsource (Portal & Blog)
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New Paper by Will Smiley ::
State Legislation Against Islamic Law
(Forthcoming)
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In the Program in Islamic Law’s first Occasional Paper,
Will Smiley
of the University of New Hampshire takes a close look at state legislative bans on Islamic law, or
sharī ͑a
, as foreign law. His paper identifies and critiques the range of state bans on Islamic law by reviewing the cases presented by the Center for Security Policy (CSP)’s report on them. In a close analysis of the case law, Smiley challenges the CSP claims that U.S. courts apply foreign law, rather than—as the analysis shows—ordinary state and federal laws, state public policy, and principles of comity when in accord with the latter two. "In none of these cases would the various forms of proposed legislation have been likely to alter the result," writes Smiley. He concludes then that the bans are both ineffective, unnecessary, and possibly in violation of the U.S. constitution, as the Tenth Circuit Court of Appeals concluded with the one state ban to mention Islamic law explicitly in the
Awad v. Ziriax
case in 2012. He further argues that, even if the bans are not unconstitutionally discriminatory in their effect, they nevertheless fail to achieve their claimed purpose. For the full article,
read the Occasional Paper
—also to be published as the lead article for our new journal, forthcoming in Spring 2019.
Image credit: Southern Poverty Law Center
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CASE ::
Awad v. Ziriax
(10th Cir. 2012): Federal Court
Enjoins State Ban on “Sharīʿa Law”
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In the single case of explicit state bans to go up to a federal appeals court, Petitioner Muneer Awad sued defendant members of the Oklahoma Election Board. He sought to prevent certification of the election results of a proposed state constitutional amendment that would have prevented Oklahoma state courts from considering "Sharia Law." The Petitioner argued that the ban would have violated his federal constitutional First Amendment rights and sought an injunction against it. The Tenth Circuit Court of Appeals agreed, stating that Awad "will suffer such a condemnation injury [government condemnation of one’s religion] in violation of constitutional rights." It therefore determined that the Petitioner asserted the kind of direct injury-in-fact necessary to create First Amendment Establishment Clause standing, and that he had a likelihood of success on the merits of having the ban declared unconstitutional. It therefore confirmed the District Court’s injunction, making it permanent.
Read more
.
Image credit: United States Court of Appeals for the Tenth Circuit/Wikimedia
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PODCAST ::
Islam: An American Religion
: Interview with Nadia Marzouki
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In a new podcast series, the Program in Islamic law features
Nadia Marzouki
of CNRS Paris, discussing her book
Islam: An American Religion
(2013). SHARIAsource Deputy Editor
Sharon Tai
interviewed her about the social-legal implications of Islamic law in the United States. This podcast is the first in a series of conversations that we will have and share with scholars in Islamic legal studies, writ large.
Listen
to the interview and
read
the transcript.
Image credit: Columbia University Press
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Program in Islamic (PIL) Law News
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PIL Visiting Fellowship: Applications Due THIS WEEK (FEB 1!)
The Program in Islamic Law is now accepting applications for Visiting Fellowships for the 2019-2020 academic year. Formerly under the rubric of the Islamic Legal Studies Program, this fellowship provides opportunities for outstanding post-doctoral scholars and faculty from other institutions for research, writing, and scholarly engagement on Islamic law at Harvard Law School, in ways that contribute to the
Program mission
of promoting cutting-edge research and resources on Islamic law. We welcome applicants with a terminal degree (JD, SJD, PhD) interested in spending a semester or the year working on an independent project. Topics of study can range widely, and typically bear legal history, comparative law, and law and society approaches to the study of Islamic law. The deadline to submit all application materials (including letters of recommendation) is
1 Feb 2019
.
Application details
.
PIL Program in Islamic Law Senior Fellowship: Applications THIS WEEK (FEB 1!)
The Program in Islamic Law is now accepting applications for Senior Fellowships, on a rolling basis for the 2019-2020 academic year. Formerly under the rubric of the Islamic Legal Studies Program, this fellowship is designed to provide tenured professors in the field the opportunity to spend an academic year, semester, or shorter period in residence at Harvard Law School to conduct their own research. Successful applicants will be tenured professors with at least one published book, and a demonstrated standing of excellence in the field. These fellowships are typically non-stipendiary, but may provide workspace, a Harvard ID and affiliation, and access to the Harvard Library and intellectual community. Interested scholars should send a letter of interest, including a short description of the proposed research, research period, and a CV to
shariasource@law.harvard.edu
, with the subject heading PIL Senior Fellowships. Applications due
1 Feb 2019.
Book Publication.
The seventh book in the Harvard Series on Islamic Law came out in 2017:
Justice and Leadership in Early Islamic Courts
(Islamic Legal Studies Program/Harvard University Press, 2017)
. Edited by
Intisar A. Rabb
and
Abigail Krasner Balbale
, this book presents a wide-ranging exploration of the administration of justice during Islam’s founding period, 632–1250 CE. Inspired by the scholarship of Professor Emeritus
Roy Parviz Mottahedeh
and composed in his honor, this volume brings together ten leading scholars of Islamic law to examine the history of early Islamic courts. The book is available through
Harvard University Press
.
Recap on PIL at the 2018 Digital Islamic Humanities Conference :: Whither Islamicate Digital Humanities?
SHARIAsource Deputy Editor
Sharon Tai
presented on the Program in Islamic Law’s work to develop digital Islamic law tools at a three-day conference on the budding field of Islamicate Digital Humanities. She highlighted an ongoing SHARIAsource tool designed to analyze media discourse about Islamic law, as applied to recent questions of Islamic constitutionalism and so-called triple
ṭalāq
(unilateral, irrevocable divorce initiated by men) that have arisen in India and Pakistan in recent years.
Details of the conference Proceedings are available on our Twitter accounts, from being
live-tweeted
to include coverage of all three sessions: on data analytics, digital tools, and textual corpora.
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Features on the SHARIAsource Portal and
Blog
Spotlight on Research ::
The Islamic Bioethics Project
.
In this issue, we feature the work of
Ayman Shabana
of Georgetown Qatar in collecting sources on Islamic law and bioethics in his
Islamic Bioethics Project
is a SHARIAsource editor resource pick.
His projects curates a
database
of both medical and scientific ethical sources from a broad spectrum of literature that relates to Islamic law.
Scholarship Roundup ::
This month’s features of recent Islamic law scholarship include:
Sherman Jackson
's
article
on gender in Islamic Studies,
“The Alchemy of Domination, 2.0?”
,
in the
American Journal of Islamic Social Sciences
, and his
article
on how to define "secular" in Islam, “The Islamic Secular”;
Sabine Schmidtke
's
two edited volumes
,
Studying the Near and Middle East at the Institute for Advanced Study, Princeton,1935-2018
and
Materials for the Intellectual History of Imami Shiism in the Safavid Period: A Facsimile Edition of Ms New York Public Library, Arabic Manuscripts Collections, Volume 51985A
;
two books by
Christopher Paul Chlohessy,
Fâtima, Daughter of Muḥammad
and
Half of my Heart: The Narratives of Zaynab, Daughter of ʿAlî
;
Mohammad Fadel
's
article
“Political Legitimacy, Democracy and Islamic Law: The Place of Self‐Government in Islamic Political Thought” in the
Journal of Islamic Ethics
;
Joshua Moir
and
Julia Wagner
's
article
“The Idea of Religious Neutrality and the Cooperation Model Compared in Germany, Austria and Italy”;
Yvonne Tew
's
article
“Stealth Theocracy” in the
Virginia Journal of International Law
;
Jose Pina-Sánchez
,
Julian V. Roberts
, and
Dimitrios Sferopoulos
's
article
“Does the Crown Court Discriminate Against Muslim-Named Offenders? A Novel Investigation Based on Text Mining Techniques” in the
British Journal of Criminology
;
Yavuz Aykan and Işık Tamdoğan
's
volume
Forms and Institutions of Justice: Legal Actions in Ottoman Contexts
, which comes out of a workshop organized at the French Institute of Anatolian Studies in Istanbul in 2012; and
Khaled Abou El Fadl
's
lecture
on torture and sexual violence in Islam.
Global Events: Islamic Legal Studies
Law and Society Association Annual Meeting (30 May-2 Jun 2019 | Washington, D.C.).
Registration is now open. This year’s theme is “Dignity.” Dignity embraces justice, rights, rule of law, respect for humanity and diversity as well as a commitment to human engagement, subjects that have been central in the law and society tradition. Dignity is a core idea in many different legal traditions and is shaped by a variety of struggles. It provides a bridge across cultures intersecting with diverse values and identities. Recognizing this central idea as our theme when we meet next year in Washington, D.C. – at a moment of social anxiety and global uncertainty – focuses our attention on the promise, values and unrealized potential of dignity and will highlight the role of values we examine law in society.
Details.
People of Color Legal Scholarship Conference (24-21 Mar 2019 | Washington, D.C.).
The 2019 conference theme is “People of Color and the Future of Democracy.” We find ourselves at a critical moment, both as a nation and as a community of legal scholars of color interested in the future of our democracy. The Fourth National People of Color Legal Scholarship Conference will include a pipeline program for law faculty aspirants, resources for junior faculty of color to present their work in supportive workshops. The conference is expected to feature over 100 panels and colloquia, works-in-progress sessions supporting junior colleagues, and various plenary keynote addresses and roundtables.
Details
.
Opportunities: Jobs, Fellowships, CFPs
Call for Applications :: American University in Cairo Presidential Associates Program (2019-2020 | Cairo, Egypt).
This program provides recent university graduates (US citizens or permanent residents) the opportunity to work at the highest levels of an international university, experience life in Cairo, and learn Arabic. Associates spend one year working at AUC. Each associate fulfills a full-time position in an AUC office or department that aligns with their professional and academic interests. Benefits includes free housing, airfare, monthly stipend, private Arabic tutoring, and more. Applications consist of a personal statement, resume, transcripts, and two letters of recommendation, and are due
Feb 8
.
Details
.
Fellowship :: Berger-Howe Legal History Fellowship (2019-2020 | Harvard Law School).
The purpose of this fellowship is to enable the fellow to complete a major piece of writing in the field of legal history. The fellow will also help coordinate the HLS Legal History Colloquium, which meets four or five times each semester. Fellows will be required to be in residence at the law school during the academic year (September through May). Applicants should have a JD or have finished the coursework for a PhD. Proposal (no more than 5 pages), writing sample, CV, graduate transcripts, and two letters of recommendation should be sent to Prof. Bruce Mann at
mann@law.harvard.edu
. The deadline for applications is
Feb 15
, and decisions will be made by Mar 15. The fellow will receive a stipend of $38,000.
Details
.
Language Fellowship :: A.J. Meyer Arabic Summer Language Study Fellowship (Summer 2019).
The Center for Middle Eastern Studies at Harvard University announces a scholarship in the amount of $2,500 for a Harvard undergraduate or graduate student who will enroll in a full time intensive Arabic language summer program in an Arabic speaking country. Absolute beginners will not be considered. Preference will be given to students who study the Arab world and have at least one full year of formal Arabic at Harvard. The application requires a proposal (maximum 750 words), resume, transcript, letter of recommendation from most recent language professor, and documentation of enrollment in an Arabic language program in an Arabic-speaking country. Applications due
Feb 22
.
Details
.
Language Fellowship :: Summer Fellowships for Advanced Turkish Language (Jun-Aug 2019 | Istanbul, Turkey).
The American Research Institute in Turkey is offering 15 fellowships for participation in the summer program in advanced Turkish language at Boğaziçi University in Istanbul. This intensive program offers the equivalent of one full academic year of study in Turkish. The fellowships cover round-trip airfare to Istanbul, application and tuition fees, and a maintenance stipend. Online application, personal statement, three letters of recommendation, official transcript, and $25 application fee due
Feb 1
.
Details
.
Call for Applications :: Siracusa International Institute for Criminal Justice and Human Rights Summer Course (2-10 Jun 2019 | Siracusa, Italy).
The Institute is organizing its 19th Specialization Course in International Criminal Law for Young Penalists on “Human Rights and Criminal Justice.” We will be selecting 60 participants under the age of 35, ideally with a degree related to law. The cost for the course is €700. Program schedule and application are available online. Applications due
Mar 31
.
Details
.
Call for Papers :: “The Ties that Bind”: Structures and Mechanisms of Social Dependency in the Early Islamic Empire (2-6 Dec 2019 | Leiden, Netherlands).
This conference aims to bring together both senior and junior scholars to present research which illuminates the structures and mechanisms that allowed the early Islamic empire to function. The papers should describe the way that local and regional elites were both embedded in larger structures of power and dependency, and employed specific mechanisms to achieve their goals. Subsidies for travel and accommodation will be available. Please send an abstract of around 300 words to
e.p.hayes@hum.leidenuniv.nl
by
Jan 31
.
Details
.
Call for Papers :: Law and Development Institute Conference (6 Dec 2019 | Dubai, UAE).
Law, legal frameworks, and institutions have a significant impact on economic and social development. This tenth annual international conference will focus on the role of law and legal institutions for development in the Islamic world. Interested speakers should email a one-page abstract by
Feb 1
to
info@lawanddevelopment.net
.
Details
.
Call for Applications :: American Center of Oriental Research Fellowships (2019-2020 | Amman, Jordan)
. Funding/residential fellowships are available for graduate students and scholars in all areas of Middle Eastern studies, including archaeological fieldwork. Apply online by
Feb 1
.
Details
.
Share & Sign Up for News on Islamic Law
Do you have an upcoming event, recent publication, or conference on Islamic law? To include it in our Portal and consideration of a feature, send details to
pil@law.harvard.edu
. Sign up for general announcements by emailing
pil@law.harvard.edu
with "Sign up for announcements" in the subject line.
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