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

Discussion Forum

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Discussion Board Structure and Guidelines

The purpose of this discussion board is to consider in a deliberate and scholarly way the principal challenges faced by Muslim countries in conceiving and operating their legal systems. Specifically, the discussion board provides an opportunity to share analysis and insights about contemporary Islamic legal theory and practice by inviting discussion on the legal contributions of particular thinkers, the practice of specific Muslim countries, and the Islamic legal aspects of recent events.

Discussion Structure
The discussion board is divided into four sections that correspond to the four parts of the course. See the explanation of terms for background on some of the terms used in the discussion to understand the theoretical contributions of the thinkers and cases we study.

1. Medieval Islamic Theory and Practice - for discussion about usul al-fiqh (the roots of the law, or legal methodology) and usul al-hukm (the roots of authority) as developed during medieval times. Questions about medieval theory and practice or comments on how they bear on today's challenges are welcome here. This discussion will begin on February 5, 2002.

2. Contemporary Theory - for discussion of the legal contributions of the specific contemporary thinkers as identified. They have been grouped in the loose and imperfect categories of liberals, feminists, and political Islamists to organize the discussion in convenient blocks. We recognize that they are often poor labels. Nonetheless, we invite discussion here that analyses, compares, or comments on the specific legal thought of each of the thinkers listed. We particularly encourage you to comment on the specific texts that the authors have written and that we are considering. For this purpose, it may be helpful to cut and paste specific (and short) passages that you want to comment on directly into your contribution. A discussion starter, written by a student in the course, will launch the discussion of each thinker once he or she is discussed in class; therefore, discussions on all thinkers will not be launched at the same time. The date noted by each thread indicates when the discussion will open on that thread. The discussion on the first thinker will begin on February 15, 2002.

3. Case Studies - for discussion of the legal practice and theoretical implications of current Muslim countries, with a particular focus on Egypt and Iran. The discussion will be tightly focused on legal systems and theory rather than broader exchanges about the social, political, or economic conditions prevailing. A discussion starter, written by a student in the course, will launch the discussion of each thinker; you are then invited to join the discussion. This discussion will begin on April 5, 2002.

4. September 11 and Aftermath - for discussion of the legal texts and justifications connected to the September 11 attacks. The specific focus will be to analyse specific fatwas and other legal reasoning in light of the theoretical discussions above. A discussion starter, written by a student in the course, will launch the discussion of each thinker; you are then invited to join the discussion. This discussion will begin on April 26, 2002.

Discussion Guidelines
While everyone is welcome to participate in this discussion board, contributions must adhere to the following guidelines. We consider it a right and duty to remove any posts that, in our opinion, violate any of these guidelines. Those decisions will not be open to appeal.

1. Postings should relate specifically to the Islamic legal issues raised by the topic of the discussion thread. We particularly encourage specific commentary on the texts on the reading list. Please avoid general issues of theology or world politics as they relate to the Muslim world, or contributions that are not responsive to the specific issues of law and legal theory that we are concerned with.
2. Absolutely no personal attacks. Please address your criticisms to arguments, not to people. It's fine to disagree, but do so with respect.
3. All arguments made must be at least minimally justified. The discussion board is open to all points of view, as long as they are accompanied by reasons. This is a space for considered discussion, not invective or platitudes.
4. Please use only one username. Anonymity is fine, but it is misleading if you contribute to a thread or more than one thread using different usernames.
5. Please aim to keep threads on topic. Postings that digress from the Islamic legal issues at hand will be removed.
6. Absolutely no use of profanities or obscenities. Similarly, spiteful, hateful, abusive, harassing, or threatening remarks will not be tolerated. Please keep the discussion considered and scholarly.
7. Any discussions or questions about the discussion board itself, the website, or the course in general should be posted only in the discussion space devoted to "General Issues about the Board and the Course".