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Contemporary Islamic Legal Thought:
Law, State, and World Order

Syllabus

Course Documents: Explanation of Terms

COURSE DESCRIPTION

This course explores contemporary Islamic thought on the legitimacy of national and international legal orders; it reviews contemporary Islamic-legal theories on the topics of legislation, constitution, legal system, nation-state, international relations, war, and world order with regard to both ideal objectives and actual conditions. One of its purposes is to enhance understanding of the events of September 11th by illuminating one of the contexts--that of Islamic law--within which violent Islamist extremists claim justification for terrorist acts (falsely according to most Muslims).

The first part of the course introduces pre-modern Islamic legal thought and practice by setting out simplified schemas of ways in which in medieval times Islamic legal doctrine was made, changed, and justified; Islamic legal systems were conceptualized, organized, and operated in practice; and Islamic states understood and conducted their interactions with other states, both Muslim and non-Muslim. These schemas are used throughout the course to help trace modern transitions, innovations, or transformations.

The second part of the course takes up Islamic legal thought in the 20th century, in the aftermath of a vast, century-long transformation of old legal orders carried out under Western colonial power and tutelage. We seek to trace the trajectory of this thought, noting crucial turnings and shifts, considering thinkers under the loose rubrics of liberal, feminist, and fundamentalist/Islamist. Our goal is to answer questions such as, how compelling intellectually are the available theories as accounts of Islamic law (and its implementing institutions) in modern times? How well do they cover the multiple aspects of modern legal life that must be treated by a successful theory?

The third part of the course shifts from explicit theory to practice, taking up case-studies of the contemporary application of Islamic law by several states that assert relatively strong claims to Islamic-legal legitimacy, including Iran, Egypt and others. We develop inductively from these case-studies (and from writings of practitioners within these legal systems) some of the most important contemporary theories on the topics of concern.

The final part of the course is left for a then-to-be-structured discussion of the crisis stemming from September 11 in the light of what we have learned. After reviewing historical and contemporary geopolitical conditions contributing to the crisis, we analyze legal opinions (fatwas), statements, and deeds of leaders and scholars across the spectrum of Muslim opinion.

(updated on a regular basis)

P A R T   O N E

PRE-MODERN ISLAMIC LEGAL THOUGHT AND PRACTICE

1.  Tuesday, January 29

Orientation to the course.  (Note that the first four classes will be mostly lecture, to get us up to speed in the pre-modern background--both doctrinal and historical--to our field of study.)  Introduction to early Islamic legal history, covering the Prophetic and immediately succeeding generations.  Readings introduce the Islamic scriptures, the Qur'an and the Sunna of the Prophet, which will be described in class.  These scriptures are the professed foundation for Islamic law.

Readings:

(Page numbers of multilithed materials appear within parenthesis and refer to pagination of materials, not of original readings themselves.)

• Noel J. Coulson, A History of Islamic Law, 9-52. (pp. 1-23)
• Qur'anic verses on law (English rendering largely taken from M. Asad). (pp. 24-31)
• OPTIONAL: a few of the latter verses are provided in context, allowing a better grasp of the Qur'an (English rendering by M. Shakir), 56-57, 78-79, 84-85, 102-103, 340-341, 482-483. (pp. 32-37
• Selections from the vast (relative to the Qur'an) corpus of the hadiths which report Sunna of the Prophet (read more for style and method than for the content of the reports; these reports happen to concern the head of the Muslim state), from Sahih Muslim (one of the most authoritative Sunni hadith texts), 1021-1023. (pp. 38-41)
• OPTIONAL: Wael B. Hallaq, A History of Islamic Legal Theories, 1-21. (pp. 43-53) (this gives a version, reflecting the lessons of scholarship in the nearly 40 years since Coulson's; it is however more of a history of legal theory than of Islamic law or legal system)

OPTIONAL AND ON RESERVE for those wishing to read more Islamic history--page numbers refer to text:

• Montgomery Watt, Islamic Political Thought: Basic Concepts, 3-45.
• Marshall Hodgson,Venture of Islam, Vol. 1, 154-195, 197-226, 247-260, 273-279 (to `Abbasid Revolution, 750 C.). (ask for it in the Islamic Legal Systems reserve)
  

2.  Thursday, January 31

Introduction to Islamic law (shari`a, fiqh) and legal thought in the classical period (9-13th centuries AD).  The role of legal scholars (`ulama, muftis), the rules for deriving legal rulings (usul al-fiqh, ijtihad, taqlid), and the legal "schools of thought."  Sketch of the functions and reach of the scholarly law (fiqh) as an independent corpus of law.  Geographic spread, institutionalization, and practical functioning of the legal schools.

Readings:

• Frank Vogel, Islamic Law and Legal System (2000), 13-32. (pp. 54-64) (on the mufti, the judge, and certain innate tensions aroused by the issue of applying Islamic law and useful for understanding the Islamic legal system and for comparing Islamic and Western law)
• Ibid., 33-73. (pp. 64-84) (on usul al-fiqh, particularly ijma` and qiyas, and on ijtihad and taqlid)
• OPTIONAL: Bernard Weiss, "Interpretation in Islamic Law: The Theory of Ijtihad," American Journal of Comparative Law (1978), 199-208. (pp. 85-93) (this is a useful summary of some of the comparatively most important traits of Islamic law, and particularly useful on epistemological issue)

3. Tues, Feb. 5

Introduction to the bases for worldly authority (usul al-hukm) in classical Islamic thought and legal history.  Theory and institutions of the medieval Islamic legal system.  The concepts of caliphate (khilafa, imama), siyasa, sultan, qadi, etc.  Sketch of the actual evolution of Islamic legal systems through the Ottomans.

Readings:

• Vogel, Islamic Law and Legal System, 169-210. (pp. 94-115) (theory of siyasa and its relation to fiqh; a thumbnail history of Islamic legal systems; initial parts concern Saudi Arabia, but, generalized and reconfigured, will prove useful later as to other systems)

4.  Thurs., Feb. 7

The dismantling of Islamic legal systems from 1800 onward in favor of new Western-styled systems.  In most countries the jurisdiction of Islamic law and courts is reduced to the laws of the family.  Emergence of other models for the Islamic constitution, including that of the modern nation state based on popular sovereignty.  Survey of now extant Islamic legal and constitutional models and of how Islamic law is now applied worldwide.

Readings:

• Vogel, ibid., 211-221. (pp. 115-120) (last section of previous reading relating to modern times)
• Liebesney, The Law of the Near & Middle East, Sections 66-70, 79-80, 94-115, 119-123, 124-125. (pp. 121- 157) (anthology on and summary of modern law changes in the Muslim world)
• Daniel Crecelius, "The Course of Secularization in Modern Egypt," Islam and Development: Religion and Sociopolitical Change, ed. J. L. Esposito (1980), 49-70. (pp. 158 - 168)

5. Tues., Feb.12

The initial stages of intellectual reaction, roughly from 1750 to 1920, to the events described in the last class. Early reform movements; the Islamic "renaissance." Ibn `Abd al-Wahhab, Sayyid Ahmad Khan, Jamal al-Din al-Afghani, Muhammad `Abduh, Rashid Rida, Ali `Abd al-Raziq, etc. These thinkers' reconstructions of Islamic legal history.

In class we shall also discuss: What is needed from an Islamic legal theory today, not only in respect to determining legal rules or outcomes (usul al-fiqh) but also with respect to shaping the legal institutions and legal systems that uphold law generally, including importantly constitutional structures (usul al-hukm)? What traits would a successful contemporary Islamic legal theory have?

Readings:

• Fazlur Rahman, Islam, on pre-modern movements in Arab world and South Asia. (pp. 169-177) (OPTIONAL: pp. 175-77) (movements in Africa)
• Albert Hourani, Arabic Thought in the Liberal Age: 1798-1939. (pp. 178 -190) (on `Abduh and Rida & `Ali `Abd al-Raziq)
• Article "Islah" [Reform] (A. Merad), Encyclopedia of Islam II. (pp. 191-211) (read this for the details about reformists' legal theory -- theory on law, legal system, and state -- but otherwise only for general sense, not details; don't be alarmed at any foreign names or terms we have not introduced)
• Malcolm Kerr, Islamic Reform: The Political and Legal Theories of Muhammad `Abduh and Rashid Rida. (pp. 212-223) (for more on Rida's legal thought)
• OPTIONAL: In class we have referred only in passing to the Islamic ideal theory of the caliphate or leadership (imama), relying as to this on readings so far. For extra information, and more historical context, a very useful short piece is Article "Imama" (W. Madelung), Encyclopedia of Islam II. (pp. 224-230)

P A R T   T W O

ISLAMIC LEGAL THOUGHT IN THE 20TH CENTURY

6.  Thurs., Feb 14

Begin review of "liberal" thinkers, critiquing them on their own terms and in respect to whether and to what extent they meet the criteria for a successful contemporary Islamic legal theory.  We take up authors in roughly chronological order.  Muhammad Iqbal, Fazlur Rahman.

Readings:

Muhammad Iqbal

• Iqbal, The Principle of Movement in the Structure of Islam, Liberal Islam, ed. Charles Kurzman (1998), 255-69. (Section B, pages 1-16)

Fazlur Rahman

• Wael Hallaq, A History of Islamic Legal Theories (1997), 241-45, 253-54. (pp. 17-19)
• Fazlur Rahman, "Towards Reformulating the Methodology of Islamic Law: Sheikh Yamani on 'Public Interest' in Islamic Law," New York University Journal of International Law and Politics (1979), 219-224. (pp. 20-25)
• Rahman, "Islamic Modernism: Its Scope, Method, and Alternatives," International Journal of Middle East Studies (1970), 329-33. (pp. 26-30)
• Rahman, Islam and Modernity (1982), 141-45, 155-57. (pp. 31-36)
• Rahman, "Law and Ethics in Islam," Ethics in Islam, ed. Richard Hovannisian (1983), 3-15. (pp. 37-43)

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7.  Tues., Feb. 19: Muhammad Asad, Mohammad Arkoun.

Readings:

Muhammad Asad

• Asad, The Principles of State and Government in Islam (1980), 11-17, 43-50, 95-100. (pp. 43-58)

Mohammad Arkoun

• Arkoun, "Rethinking Islam Today," Liberal Islam, ed. Charles Kurzman (1998), 205-09. (pp. 59-63)
• Arkoun, "The Concept of Authority in Islamic Thought: La hukma illa li-illah," The Islamic World: From Classical to Modern Times, eds. C.E. Bosworth et al. (1989), 34-54. (pp. 64-74)
• Arkoun, Selections from "The Notion of Revelation: From Ahl al-Kitab to the Societies of the Book," Die Welt Des Islams; "Present Day Islam Between Its Tradition and Globalization," Intellectual Traditions in Islam (Farhad Daftary ed., 2000); and "The Concept of "Islamic Reformation," Islamic Law Reform and Human Rights: Challenges and Rejoinders, eds. Tore Lindholm and Kari Vogt (1992). (pp. 75-83)
• Robert Lee, Overcoming Tradition and Modernity: The Search for Islamic Authenticity (1997), 166-71, 174 (notes). (pp. 84-87)

8.  Thurs., Feb. 2

Abdullahi Ahamed An-Na'im, Muhammad Sa'id al-'Ashmawi,  Mohammad Sharoor, Mohamed Abed Jabri

Readings:

Abdullahi Ahmed An-Na'im

• An-Na'im, Toward an Islamic Reformation: Civil Liberties, Human Rights, and International Law (1966), 46-68, 97-100. (pp. 88-100)

Mohammad Sharoor

• "Applying the Concept of 'Limits' to the Rights of Muslim Women" (available at: http://www.islam21.net/pages/keyissuess/key2-10.htm) (pp. 101-106)

Muhammad Sa'id al-'Ashmawi

• Wael Hallaq, A History of Islamic Legal Theories (1997), 231-41. (pp. 107-112)
• OPTIONAL: Muhammad Sa'id Al-'Ashmawi, "Shari'a: The Codification of Islamic Law," Liberal Islam, ed. Charles Kurzman (1998), 49-56. (pp. 113-120)

Mohamed Abed Jabri

• Abdou Filali-Ansari, "Can Modern Rationality Shape a New Religiosity? M. A. Jabri and the Project of Reduction of Islamic Aporias" (available at: http://www.geocities.com/athens/forum/3778/abdouh.htm) (also published as "Can Modern Rationality Shape a New Religiosity? Mohamed Abed Jabri and the Paradox of Islam and Modernity," Islam and Modernity: Muslim Intellectuals Respond, eds. John Cooper et al. (1998), 161-71.) (pp. 121-132)

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9. Tues., Feb. 26: Nasir Hamid Abu Zaid, Khaled Abou El Fadl

Readings:

Nasir Hamid Abu Zaid

• Legal Research and Resources Center for Human Rights, "A Biography of Abu Zaid and a Brief Reminder of the Case" (available at: http://www.geocities.com/lrrc.geo/Zaid/zaidbio.htm)
• Abu Zaid, "The Qur'anic Concept of Justice," 2 POLYLOG: FORUM FOR INTERCULTURAL PHILOSOPHIZING 1 (2001) (excerpts; full text available at: http://cyber.law.harvard.edu/islamic/<span) (pp. 133-138)
• Abu Zaid, Transformation Potential of Religion in Modern Times: The Case of Islam (unpublished manuscript) (excerpts). (pp. 139-144)

Khaled Abou El Fadl

• Abou El Fadl, Speaking in God's Name: Islamic Law, Authority, and Women (2001), 1-7, 25-34, 50-57, 128-33, 141-45, 170-83, 264-271 (and notes). (pp. 145-211)

Thurs., Feb 28: Class cancelled; subsequent makeup scheduled.

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10.  Tues., March 5

Begin similar review of writings of "political Islamist" thinkers.  Hassan al-Banna, Abul A'la Maududi.

Readings:

Hasan al-Banna

• Guilain Denoeux, "Hasan al-Banna," Arabies Trends: The International Magazine on Arab Affairs, available only on-line at: http://www.arabies.com/Special%20Report/Hasan%20al-Banna.htm
• Al-Banna, "Reform the Law" from To What Do We Summon Mankind and "Understanding" from The Message of the Teachings. (pp. 212-216)
• SKIM: "To What Do We Summon Mankind," available at: http://www.glue.umd.edu/~kareem/rasayil/liaysh_e.htm.
• SKIM: The Message of the Teachings, available at: http://www.youngmuslims.ca/online_library/books/tmott/index.htm.
• Ahmad S. Moussalli, "The Discourse of Hasan al-Banna on Shura, Democracy, and the Islamic State," Moderate and Radical Islamic Fundamentalism: The Quest for Modernity, Legitimacy, and the Islamic State (1999). (pp. 217-244)

Abul A'la Maududi

• SKIM: Biography of Maududi at http://www.abulala.com/shortbio.asp.
• Maududi, Islamic Law and Constitution, 52-62, 72-92 (1955). (pp. 245-276)

11. Thurs., March 7: Sayyid Qutb

Readings:

Seyyid Qutb

• Yvonne Haddad, "Sayyid Qutb: Ideologue of Islamic Revival," Voices of Resurgent Islam, ed. John L. Esposito (1983), 67-98. (pp. 277-308)
• Selections from Sayyid Qutb, Milestones. (pp. 309-333)

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12. Tues., March 12

Continue Seeyid Qutb; the tract of Egyptian President Sadat's assassins al-Farida al-gha'iba. 

Readings:

Al-Farida Al-Ghai'ba (Creed of Sadat's Assasins):

• Introductory Note (download Word file)
• John L. Esposito, Islam and Politics (1998), 234-47. (pp. 334-337)
• J.J.G. Jansen, The Neglected Duty: The Creed of Sadat's Assassins and Islamic Resurgence in the Middle East (1986), 159-209 (focus on §§ 1-28, §§ 47-64, §§ 66-67, and §§ 84-90, skim the rest); 35-37; 54-60. (pp. 338-372)

13. Thurs., March 14

al-Turabi; Saudi radical Islamist opposition and response.


Readings:

Hasan al-Turabi

• John L. Esposito and John O. Voll, "Hasan al-Turabi: The Mahdi-Lawyer," Makers of Contemporary Islam (2001), 118-19, 123-26. (pp. 373-376)
• al-Turabi, Tajdid Usul al-Fiqh al-Islami (The Renewal of Islamic Jurisprudence) (Khartoum, 1980) (selected excerpts; translated by Frank Vogel). (pp. 377-384)
• al-Turabi, "The Islamic State," Voices of Resurgent Islam, ed. John L. Esposito (1983), 241-51. (pp. 385-390)
• Islam, Democracy, The State, and The West: A Round Table with Dr. Hasan Turab, ed. Arthur L. Lowrie (1992), 48-53. (pp. 391-396)

Saudi Islamist Opposition

• Introduction. (p. 397)
• Petitions of Saudi 'ulama' to King Fahd. (translated by Frank Vogel). (pp. 398-399)
• Frank E. Vogel, Islamic Law and Legal System: Studies of Saudi Arabia (2000), xiv-xvi. (pp. 400-401)
• Mamoun Fandy, Saudi Arabia and the Politics of Dissent (1999), 48-60, 80-84, 167-72, 234-36. (pp. 402-417)

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14.  Tues., March 19

Finally, review "feminist" thinkers.  Readings include a brief summary of Islamic legal rules affecting women's status. Raga El-Nimr, Fatima Mernissi.

Readings:

Summary of legal rules affecting women's status

• Selections from Muhammad Abu Zahra, "Family Law," Law and the Middle East, eds. Majid Khadduri and Herbert J. Liebesney (1955). (pp. 419-431)
• OPTIONAL: Selections from Moroccan Personal Law from Dawoud Sudqui El Alami and Doreen Hinchcliffe, Islamic Marriage and Divorce Laws of the Arab World (1996). (pp. 432-441)

Raga El-Nimr:

• El-Nimr, "Women in Islamic Law," Feminism and Islam, ed. Mai Yamani (1996). (pp. 442-452)

Fatima Mernissi

• Mernissi, The Veil and the Male Elite (1992), 8-11; 49-61. (pp. 453-463)
• Mernissi, "Femininity as Subversion: Reflection on the Muslim Concept of Nushuz," Speaking on Faith: Global Perspectives on Women, Religion, and Social Change, eds. Diana Eck and Devaki Jain (1987). (pp. 464-476)

15.  Thurs., March 21: Amina Wadud, Ziba Mir-Hosseini, Riffat Hassan.

Readings:

Amina Wadud-Mushin

• Wadud-Mushin, "Qur'an and Woman," Liberal Islam, ed. Carles Kurzman (1998). (pp. 477-489)

Ziba Mir-Hosseini

• Mir-Hosseini, Ziba, "Stretching the Limits," Feminism and Islam, ed. Mai Yamani (1996). (pp. 490-509)

Riffat Hassan

• Hassan, Riffat, "Equal Before Allah?," Harvard Divinity Bulletin (January-May 1987); reprinted in Women Living Under Muslim Laws Dossier. (pp. 510-514)

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Tues., Mar. 26: Spring break, no class

Thurs., Mar. 28: Spring break, no class

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P A R T   T H R E E

IMPLICIT LEGAL THEORY: CASE STUDIES IN
ESTABLISHMENT ISLAMIC LAW---IRAN AND EGYPT

16.  Tues., April 2

Discuss aims and methods of case studies: seeking to elicit the legal theory implicit in contemporary legal establishments' embrace of Islamic law (in styles, modes, and degrees varying from country to country).

Iran case study.  Introduction to the Iranian constitutional system and "the rule of the jurist" (vilayet-i faqih, wilayat al-faqih).  Readings from Ruhollah Khomeini and `Ali Shari`ati.  The land reform controversy.

Readings:

• The Encylopaedia of Islam (1978), s.v. "Ithna 'Ashariyya," by S.H. Nasr. (pp. 515-516)
• Moojan Momen, An Introduction to Shi'i Islam: The History and Doctrines of Twelver Shi'ism (1985), 172-195, 203-206. (pp. 517-532)
• Abdulaziz Abdulhussein Sachedina, The Just Ruler (al-sultan al-adil) in Shiite Islam: The Comprehensive Authority of the Jurist in Imamite Jurisprudence (1988), 29-43. (pp. 533-540)
• Moojan Momen, An Introduction to Shi'i Islam: The History and Doctrines of Twelver Shi'ism (1985), 105-109, 112, 114-119, 123-128, 130-131, 135-143. (pp. 541-558)

17. Thurs., April 4: Iran case study continued.

Readings:

• John L. Esposito, ed., The Oxford Encyclopedia of the Modern Islamic World (1995), s.v. "Wilayat Al-Faqih," by Roy P. Mottahedeh. (Section C, pp. 1-2)
• Said Amir Arjomand, The Turban for the Crown: The Islamic Revolution in Iran (1988), 151-153, 163-173, 177-188. (pp. 3-28)
• Imam Khomeini, Islam and Revolution, trans. Hamid Algar (1981), 55-81, 136-141, 147-149. (pp. 29-48)

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18. Tues., April 9: Iran case study continued.

Readings:

• Iranian Constitution--go to the following site: http://www.salamiran.org/IranInfo/State/Constitution/
• Said Amir Arjomand, "Authority in Shiism and Constitutional Developments in the Islamic Republic of Iran," The Twelver Shia in Modern Times: Religious Culture & Political History, eds. Rainer Brunner and Werner Ende (2001), 301-319. (pp. 49-58)
• Asghar Schirazi, The Constitution of Iran: Politics and the State in the IslamicRepublic, trans. John O'Kane (1997), 8-21, 175-205. (pp. 59-84)                                          

Fri., April 12: OPTIONAL: Dr. Souroush in HA 102, 5:00-7:00; Dinner in HA 105, 7:00

Readings:

• Forough Jahanbakhsh, Islam, Democracy and Religious Modernism in Iran: From Bazargan to Soroush (2001), 140-171. (pp. 85-100)
• Abdolkarim Soroush, "The Evolution and Devolution of Religious Knowledge," Liberal Islam, ed. Charles Kurzman (1998), 244-251. (pp. 101-108)
• Soroush, "The Essential and the Accidental in Religion," 1-24. (pp. 109-132)
• Soroush, "Contraction and Expansion of Religious Knowledge," 1-22. (pp. 133-154)

19. Thurs., April 11: Iran case study continued.

Readings:

• Said Amir Arjomand, "Authority in Shiism and Constitutional Developments in the Islamic Republic of Iran," The Twelver Shia in Modern Times: Religious Culture & Political History, eds. Rainer Brunner and Werner Ende (2001), 320-332. (pp. 155-161)
• Charles Kurzman, "Critics Within: Islamic Scholars' Protests Against the Islamic State in Iran," International Journal of Politics, Culture, and Society, Vol. 15, No. 2 (Winter 2001), 341-359. (pp. 162-180)
• Mahmoud Sadri, "Sacral Defense of Secularism: the Political Theologies of Soroush, Shabestari, and Kadivar," International Journal of Politics, Culture, and Society, Vol. 15, No. 2 (Winter 2001), 257-270. (pp. 181-194)
• FBIS Translated Text on April 9, 1998. "Religious Pluralism: Kadivar, Sorush Debate (Part I)," Salam, 1 January 1998, p. 9. (pp. 195-200)
• FBIS Translated Text on April 9, 1998. "Religious Pluralism: Kadivar, Sorush Debate (Part II)," Salam, 8 January 1998, pp. 9-10. (pp. 200-206)
• FBIS Translated Text on April 9, 1998. "Religious Pluralism: Kadivar, Sorush Debate (Part III)," Salam, 15 January 1998, pp. 9-10. (pp. 206-212)
• Mohsen Kadivar, "Political Authority in Shi' Fiqh." (to be e-mailed)

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20. Tues., April 18

Some of the theories propounded by "Establishment" lawyers and religious legal scholars in response to the Islamists, liberals, and feminists.  Methods of the syncretist comparative lawyers.

Readings:

• Yusuf al-Qaradawi, "Extremism," Liberal Islam, ed. Charles Kurzman (1998), 196-204. (pp. 213-221)
• Andreas Christman, "Islamic Scholar and Religious Leader: a Portrait of Shaykh Muhammad Sa'id Ramadan al-Buti," Islam and Christian-Muslim Relations, Vol. 9, No. 2 (1998), 149-169. (pp. 222-242)
• Jakob Skovgaard-Petersen, Defining Islam for the Egyptian State: Muftis and Fatwas of the Dar al-Ifta (1997), 196-204. (pp. 243-260)
• Amr Shalakany, "Between Identity and redistribution: Sanhuri, Genealogy and the Will to Islamise," Islamic Law and Society, Vol. 8, No. 2 (June, 2001), 201-206. (pp. 261-263)
• Enid Hill, "Al-Sanhuri and Islamic Law," Arab Law Quarterly, Vol 3 (1988), 182-190, 210-218. (pp. 264-274) 

21. Thurs., April 18

The Egyptian case study.  Incorporation by the Supreme Constitutional Court of Islamic legal principles and rules into constitution and laws.

Readings:

• John Esposito, Islam and Politics (1998), 235-260. (pp. 275-289)
• Israel Altman, "Islamic Legislation in Egypt in the 1970s," Asian and African Studies, XIII (1979), 199-219. (pp. 290-306)
• Nathan Brown, The Rule of Law in the Arab World: Courts in Egypt and the Gulf (1997), 93-128. (pp. 307-327)
• Nathan Brown, Constitutions in a Nonconstitutional World: Arab Basic Laws and the Prospects for Accountable Government (2002), 180-184. (pp. 328-332)

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22. Tues., April 23

 Two instances (the Nasr Abu Zayd and female circumcision cases) in which the other two highest courts of Egypt (Court of Cassation and Council of State) embrace Islamic legal principles and reasoning.

Readings:

A. Supreme Constitutional Court

• John Murray and Mohamed El-Molla, "Islamic Shari'a and Constitutional Interpretation in Egypt," Democracy, the Rule of Law and Islam, eds. Eugene Cotran and Adel Omar Sherif (1999), 507-524. (pp. 333-343)
• Frank E. Vogel, "Conformity with Islamic Shari'a and Constitutionality Under Article 2: Some Issues of Theory, Practice, and Comparison," Democracy, the Rule of Law and Islam, eds. Eugene Cotran and Adel Omar Sherif (1999), 525-544. (pp. 343-353)

B. Ordinary Court

• See Court of Appeal and Court of Cassation decisions in the Abu Zayd case, found on the Abu Zayd resources link on our website or at the Legal Research and Resource Center for Human Rights. http://www.geocities.com/lrrc.geo/Zaid/appeals.htm
• Gamal Essam El-Din and Amira Howeidy, "Mixed Reaction to Hesba Law," Al-Ahram (Cairo). (pp. 354-355)

C. Council of State (Majlis al-Dawla--highest administrative court)

• Female genital mutilation (circumcision) case. Translation kindly provided by Prof. Lama Abou-Odeh, Georgetown Law Center. (pp. 356-362)
• Consult as desired the Constitution of Egypt of 1971, as amended in 1980. http://www.sis.gov.eg/egyptinf/politics/parlment/html/constit.htm
• Geneive Abdo, No God, But God: Egypt and the Triumph of Islam (2000), 163-185. (supplement to course packet)

P A R T   F O U R

SIGNIFICANCE OF SEPTEMBER 11 AND AFTERMATH

23.  Thurs., April 25

Review of writings, speeches, and transcripts by Osama bin Laden and supporters.  After reviewing some summaries of Islamic relevant rules as to jihad, killing of non-combatants, and the spreading of terror, examine fatwas and Muslim scholarly writings in response to attacks and aftermath.  Analysis of legal status of attacks and subsequent events according to trends, theories, stances we have explored, comparing these with status under US and international law.

Readings:

• Rudolph Peters, Jihad in Classical and Modern Islam (1996), 27-42, 50-53, 69-82, 174-181. (pp. 367-388)
  • Ibn Rushd
  • Ibn Taymiya
  • Shaltut
• Hilmi M. Zawati, Is Jihad a Just War? War, Peace, and Human Rights Under Islamic and Public International Law (2001). (pp. 389-399)
• Encyclopedia of Islam II. s.v. "Djihad." (p. 400)
• "International Law," Oxford Encyclopedia of the Modern Islamic World (1995). (pp. 401-404)

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24. MAKE UP CLASS: Date/time to be arranged

Continued.  Critique of selected Western intellectual and press commentary.

Readings:

Osama Bin Laden and His Views on Jihad and Terrorism

• Giles Kepel, Jihad: The Trail of Political Islam (2002). (pp. 405-410)
• Various declarations, fatwas, interviews, etc., issued by Osama Bin Laden, al-Qaida, or others associated with them.

The following are some current web links to this material

• Declaration of War of 1996: http://www.washingtonpost.com/ac2/wpdyn?pagename=article&node=&contentId=A4342- (pp. 411-428)
• Interview with Osama bin Laden by Abd al-Bari 'Atwan, chief editor of Al-Quds Al-Arabi, in 1996. (pp. 429-431)
• Interview with Osama bin Laden by Hamid Mir, editor of Pakistan, on March 18, 1997. (pp. 433-442)
• Initial "Fatwa" Statement published in the Arabic Newspaper al-Quds al-Arabi (London, U.K., 23 February, 1998) p. 3, available at http://www.library.cornell.edu/colldev/mideast/fatw2.htm. (pp. 443-445)
• World Islamic Front Statement (23 February 1998): http://copia.library.cornell.edu/colldev/mideast/wif.htm. (pp. 446-448)
• Translation of letter of hijackers: http://www.ict.org.il/documents/documentdet.cfm?docid=57 (pp. 449-452)
• Hassan Mneimneh, Kanan Makiya, Manual for a "Raid": http://www.nybooks.com/articles/15106. (pp. 453-462)
• Interview with Sulaiman Abu Ghaith, a spokesman for Osama Bin Laden's al-Qaeda group: http://news.bbc.co.uk/low/english/world/middle_east/newsid_1598000/1598146.stm (pp. 463-466)
• Osama bin Laden interview by Hamid Mir on Nov 10 or so: http://www.observer.co.uk/afghanistan/story/0,1501,591509,00.html or at
  httsp://www.dawn.com/2001/11/10/top1.htm (pp. 467-470)
• Al-Jazirah TV Interviews Mahfouz Oul Walid (aka Abu-Hafs the Mauritanian), an Al-Qaeda leader, on Nov 1. (pp. 471-474)

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 25. Tues., April 30

CLASS EXERCISE.  We construct an Islamic legal system for Afghanistan!

Readings:

September 11th

• "Dr. Qaradawi Condemns the Terrorist Attacks" (13 September 2001); "It Is Not Permitted to Use Civil Airplanes as Instruments of Terrorizing Others" (12 October 2001), both available at http://qaradawi.net. (pp. 475-476)
• Grand Mufti of Saudi Arabia, in Ain-Al-Yaqeen (21 September 2001), available at http://www.ain-al-yaqeen.com/issues/20010921/feat6en.htm. (pp. 477-479)
• "Muslim Soldiers in the U.S. Armed Forces in Afghanistan: To Fight or Not to Fight?," The Idler: A Web Periodical (8 November 2001), available at http://www.the-idler.com/IDLER-01/11-8.html. (pp. 480-483)

Suicide Bombing

• "Defense of Islam and Its Land is Not Suicide" (22 April 2001), available at http://qaradawi.net. (p. 484)
• "It is Not Permitted to Use Civil Airplanes as Instruments of Terrorizing Others" (12 October 2001), available at http://qaradawi.net.(p. 485)
• "Dr. al-Qaradawi Criticizes the Fatwa of the Shaykh al-Azhar Condemning Martyrdom-Seeking Operations in Palestine" (5 December 2001), available at http://qaradawi.net.(p. 486)
• "Shaykh al-Azhar Demands Increase in Martyrdom-Seeking Operation" (4 April 2002), available at http://www.lailatalqadr.com/ stories/n040401.shtm. (p. 487)
• "Participation of Women in Martryrdom-Seeking Operations" (6 April 2002), available at http://qaradawi.net. (p. 488)
• "Debating the Religious, Political and Moral Legitimacy of Suicide Bombings Part 2: The Debate over Political and Moral Legitimacy," The Middle East Media Research Institute: Inquiry and Analysis Series (3 May 2001), No. 54, available at http://memri.org/bin/articles.cgi?Page=archives&Area=ia&ID=IA5401. (pp. 489-490)
• "The Highest Ranking Palestinian Authority Cleric; In Praise of Martyrdom Operations," The Middle East Media Research Institute: SpecialDispatch Series (8 June 2001), No. 226, available at http://memri.org/bin/articles.cgi?Page=archives&Area=sd&ID=SP22601. (pp. 491-492)
• "The Prophet Muhammad as a Jihad Model," The Middle East Media Research Institute: Special Dispatch Series (24 June 2001), No. 246, available at http://memri.org/bin/articles.cgi?Page=archives&Area=sd&ID=SP24601. (pp. 493-495)
• "Debating the Religious, Political, and Moral Legitimacy of Suicide Bombings: Part III," The Middle East Media Research Institute: Inquiry and Analysis Series (26 July 2001), No. 65, available at http://memri.org/bin/articles.cgi?Page=archives&Area=ia&ID=IA6501. (pp. 496-498)
• "Debating the Religious, Political, and Moral Legitimacy of Suicide Bombings: Part IV," The Middle East Media Research Institute: Inquiry and Analysis Series (27 July 2001), No. 66, available at http://memri.org/bin/articles.cgi?Page=archives&Area=ia&ID=IA6601. (pp. 499-501)
• "Muslim Scholars at Odds Over Suicide Bombings," available at http://www.arabia.com/egypt/news/article/english/0,5127,19530,00.html. (pp. 502-503)

Western Authors

• Olivier Roy, "Bin Laden: an Apocalyptic Sect Severed from Political Islam," East European Constitutional Review (Fall 2001), 108-114. (pp. 504-511)
• Francis Fukuyama, "Their Target the Modern World," Newsweek (January 2002), available at http://www.msnbc.com/news/672448.asp?cp1=. (pp. 512-518)

Afghanistan as a Case-Study

• Handout #13. This is a handout setting up a class exercise in my other class. It may be of interest to us as we discuss how what we have learned in our class enlightens us about the choices now to be made by Afghanistan as it sets out to establish a new constitution and legal system. It can help ground our conversation on this topic. (pp. 519-531)
• Two press pieces (both published outside the US) reporting statements by Afghani officials about their intentions for Islamic law in the new legal system of Afghanistan.
  • "Islamic Laws to Remain in Force in Afghanistan, Says Chief Justice," Deutsche Presse-Agentur (12 January, 2002). (p. 532)
  • "Afghan courts aim to use Islamic Law," The Globe and Mail (27 December 2002). (pp. 533-534)

26. Thurs., May 2: Final assessments.