PAS is tarnishing image of Islam
Terengganu, under PAS rule, is again in the limelight for the wrong reasons. The recent public caning meted out to two women accused of attempting to commit a lesbian sexual activity (sihaq in Arabic) is uncalled for, and has brought criticism and caused ripples of unease across the country. This caning has given a bad […]
Indonesia’s main Muslim group criticizes blasphemy sentence
JAKARTA, Indonesia (AP) — Indonesia’s largest Muslim organization has criticized the blasphemy conviction and imprisonment of a Buddhist woman who complained that the call to prayer from her neighborhood mosque was too loud. Officials from Nahdlatul Ulama, which claims 60 million members, said Thursday the woman’s complaint about mosque loudspeakers doesn’t constitute blasphemy under Indonesian […]
Islam & Politics | Full Panel Discussion | Oxford Union
Across the Muslim world, religion plays an increasingly prominent role in politics. Is there something inherent in Islam that lends itself to this politicisation, and what role should the faith play in modernising governments in the Muslim world? A scholar of Islamic law and a leading Middle Eastern media editor come together for what promises […]
Christian Man Whipped Publicly for Selling Alcohol
A Christian man in Indonesia was publicly flogged on Friday for selling alcohol in violation of Islamic law. The whipping took place outside of a mosque in the provincial capital of the conservative Aceh province. He received 36 lashes for the offense. Doctors examined him after he received the first 10 lashes, and the beating […]
Greece’s Muslims No Longer Forced to Follow Sharia Law
In a historic move, Greece revoked a pair of 1920s laws that required Muslims who became Greek citizens to rely on Islamic Sharia law instead of the country’s secular courts. Now, Muslims in Greece can turn to Greek secular courts to address a wide range of issues such as child custody battles, inheritance issues, and […]
Greece makes sharia law optional for Muslim minority
The Greek parliament on Tuesday made the practice of Islamic sharia law in family disputes optional for the country’s Muslim minority, changing a century-old legacy. Greece’s leftist Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras immediately called the vote an “historic step” as it “extended equality before the law to all Greeks.” The legislation will allow Muslim litigants to […]
US: Are ‘anti-Sharia’ bills legalising Islamophobia?
At least 13 states across the United States have introduced bills that seek to ban Islamic law this year, with Texas and Arkansas enacting “anti-Sharia” legislation, according to a recent report. Researchers and critics fear that right-wing legislators are increasing anti-Muslim sentiment as Islamic law, known as “Sharia”, was targeted by some 194 bills between […]
Muslim Women and Islamic Law: Myths and Realities
Headline news often fills us with fearful images of Islam—pictures of heavily veiled women subject to radical implementations of “Islamic law” ranging from amputations to executions. This session looks to the Qur’an, history, and contemporary realities to provide a broader understanding of women’s roles in Islam and under Islamic family law. We discuss the symbolism […]
Dozens of US cities brace for anti-Muslim marches
Cities across the United States are gearing up for the National March Against Sharia, an anti-Muslim campaign that has been criticised by several rights groups and watchdogs. ACT for America, described by the Southern Poverty Law Centre (SPLC) as the largest grassroots anti-Muslim group in the US, called for Saturday’s marches in at least 28 […]
Al-Shabab Stones Man to Death in Somalia
A 44-year-old man has been stoned to death by the al-Shabab militant group in Rama Addey town in southern Somalia’s Bay region, reports say. The al-Shabab militant group on its official website said the man was convicted for adultery in Ufurow town, 60 kilometers west of Baidoa. Al-Shabab said the relatives of the woman involved […]