ISLAMIC LAW IN THE NEWS “The Ministry of Islamic Affairs, Dawah and Guidance conducted a religious course for students seeking knowledge in Ikeja, Lagos, Nigeria, with approximately 150 participants.” “Paris Mayor Emmanuel Grégoire respond…
ISLAMIC LAW IN THE NEWS
- “The Ministry of Islamic Affairs, Dawah and Guidance conducted a religious course for students seeking knowledge in Ikeja, Lagos, Nigeria, with approximately 150 participants.”
- “Paris Mayor Emmanuel Grégoire responded to U.S. President Donald Trump following his statement about the alleged spread of Sharia law in the French capital. Grégoire stated that Paris does not need lectures from the U.S. president and called the French capital one of the world’s cities that has much to be proud of.”
- “U.S. Rep. Chip Roy (R-TX-21) sent a letter to U.S. Attorney General Todd Blanche, U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, and U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, outlining concerns regarding a “planned Islamic development” being built near U.S. military training base Camp Bullis in San Antonio [Texas].”
- In Malaysia, “Chief Executive Officer of the Zakat Collection Centre of the Federal Territories Islamic Religious Council Datuk Abdul Hakim Amir Osman said rising living costs in urban areas were making life increasingly challenging for low-income groups… the situation showed that economic growth alone did not guarantee that all segments of society would be free from financial pressures, as some families continued to require support to ensure their basic needs were met. [Osman said] ‘In the Federal Territories, zakat… serves as an important instrument of social protection for the Muslim community, not only by providing assistance to those in need today, but also by creating opportunities for them to build more stable lives in the future.’”
- “Egypt’s Dar Al-Ifta, joined Al-Azhar in the annual “Quran Recitation Day,” a global event organized by Al-Azhar that brings Muslims from around the world together to recite the Quran simultaneously in a single day.”
- “The Egyptian Ministry of Awqaf held 625 scientific seminars entitled “Holy Prophet (PBUH); Ideal Model of Morality” in the country’s border provinces.”
- In the Philippines, “the Department of Trade and Industry’s Bagong Pilipinas National Exporters’ Fair 2026 generated P129.25 million in exhibitor sales, opening more opportunities for Philippine exporters and highlighting the country’s growing Halal, coconut, and agri-based industries.”
- “Indonesia is seeking to strengthen its halal value chains to increase the halal industry's contribution to gross domestic product (GDP), Head of the Halal Product Assurance Organizing Agency (BPJPH) Ahmad Haikal Hasan said.”
- “Far-right French presidential front-runner Marine Le Pen is under fire after doubling down on her proposal to ban women from wearing the hijab in public, despite doubts within her own party about the policy.”
- “New York Gov. Kathy Hochul and her Republican challenger, Nassau County Executive Bruce Blakeman, are trading accusations after Blakeman criticized the governor for wearing a hijab during a visit to an Islamic cultural center.”
- In Nigeria, “Gov. Caleb Mutfwang of Plateau has ordered the arrest and prosecution of anyone found promoting, sponsoring, aiding or abetting activities of Hisbah, otherwise known as Sharia Police in the state.”
- “Dubai Islamic Bank (DIB) has secured about $1.2 billion in commitments from regional and international banks for its debut syndicated Islamic financing facility, significantly exceeding the $750 million it set out to raise.”
- “The All India Muslim Personal Law Board announced a nationwide ‘people’s movement’ to protect the Constitution and Sharia (Islamic law), under which it will organise public meetings and protest programmes in major cities across the country.”
- In a message published on the day marking the birthday of the Prophet Muhammad, Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Mojtaba Khamenei stated “My emphatic and repeated recommendation to the rulers of Islamic countries, especially the countries of West Asia and the Gulf, is to identify your real enemy, understand his plan and confront it.”
- In India, “a special Eid Milad-un-Nabi programme titled “Yawm-e-Aman” (Day of Peace) was held at Jawaharlal Nehru University in New Delhi, bringing together academics, students and intellectuals to reflect on the teachings of Prophet Muhammad and their relevance to peace, equality and social harmony.”
- In Pakistan, “Federal Minister for Information and Broadcasting Attaullah Tarar urged young people to draw guidance from the life and teachings of Prophet Muhammad (PBUH), particularly the principles of truthfulness, trustworthiness, tolerance, respect for parents and responsible use of social media.”
- “Saudi Arabia has raised $3.25 billion in a two-tranche sale of US dollar-denominated Islamic bonds, or sukuk, IFR reported, marking the kingdom’s second debt market transaction this year and its first since tensions with Iran escalated.”
- In Libya, “The General Authority for Hajj and Umrah announced the official opening of registration for the 1448 AH (2027) pilgrimage season. The authority invited eligible applicants to register through the Hajjaj online platform.”
CASES, FATWĀS, LEGISLATION ON ISLAMIC LAW
- In Malaysia, “Lawyer Nik Elin Nik Rashid says at least 11 provisions in the Shariah Criminal Offences (Kelantan) Enactment 2026 can be challenged in court based on her reading of it.”
- In Iran, “Leader of the Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Seyed Mojtaba Hosseini Khamenei approved a proposal to pardon or commute the sentences of 2,577 Iranian convicts… [t]he pardon was granted at the request of the country’s Judiciary Chief Gholam Hossein Mohseni Ejei on the occasion of the birth anniversaries of Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) and Imam Jafar Sadiq (AS), the sixth Imam of Shiite Muslims.”
- “The Taliban government defended… its ban on protests that has drawn condemnation from rights groups, saying the order complies with Islamic law.” For more content and context on the recent developments in Afghanistan, consult our Editor-in-Chief Professor Intisar Rabb’s “Resource Roundup: Afghanistan, the Taliban, and Islamic Law.”
- In India, “A special NIA court has sentenced Syed Fasiyur Rehman, a key accused in the Bengaluru Al-Hind ISIS conspiracy case, to seven years of rigorous imprisonment and imposed a fine of Rs 48,000 for his alleged involvement in a conspiracy linked to the banned Islamic State (ISIS) organisation.”
- In Malaysia, “A former managing director of a tourism company was ordered to serve five years in prison from today after the Court of Appeal upheld his conviction on 23 charges of cheating involving fraudulent umrah and Egypt pilgrimage packages worth RM434,250.”
- “Polish security authorities have charged a 20-year-old university student with terrorism after alleging he planned an attack on a Christmas market inspired by the Islamic State (ISIS).”
- In India, “Keralam Chief Minister VD Satheesan on Wednesday (September 2) strongly opposed Sunni Islamic scholar Kanthapuram AP Aboobacker Musliyar's remarks suggesting that women should remain confined to their homes, saying such a view was not in line with the progressive tradition of the state.”
UPCOMING EVENTS AND OPPORTUNITIES
Events:
- Workshop: Archival Abundances and Silences in Islamic Studies, Princeton University, October 2–3, 2026
- Conference: Ruling Bodies: Islamic Law, Embodiment, and the Anthropology of Normativity, The Institute for Islamic Theology, Paderborn University, November 6–7, 2026
- Conference: Middle East Studies Association Annual Meeting, Boston, MA, November 21–24, 2026
- Conference: The Institutional Embedding of Shiʿi Imams: Kinship, Caliphs, Courts and Companions (700-900), University of Leiden, January 13–15, 2027
- Conference: Rupture or Continuity in Sharīʿa: (De)Colonizing Sharīʿa? International Conference, Centre for Islamic Studies (ISAM), Istanbul, Turkey, June 9–11, 2027
Opportunities:
- Award: Student Travel Award, Association for Gulf and Arabian Peninsula Studies, September 1, 2026
- Call for Papers: Legal Research & Analysis, September 29, 2026
- Call for Papers: Trends in Intellectual Property Research, September 30, 2026
|
|
|
|
