Sharia Politics Islamic Law and Society in the Modern World [Paperback]

One of the most important developments in Muslim politics in recent years has been the spread of movements calling for the implementation of shari`a or Islamic law. Shari`a Politics maps the ideals and organization of these movements and examines their implications for the future of democracy, citizen rights, and gender relations in the Muslim world. These studies of eight Muslim-majority societies, and state-of-the-field reflections by leading experts, provide the first comparative investigation of movements for and against implementation of shari`a. These essays reveal that the Muslim public's interest in shari`a does not spring from an unchanging devotion to received religious tradition, but from an effort to respond to the central political and ethical questions of the day.

The volume edited by Hefner (anthropology, Boston Univ.) includes essays that analyze the status of Islamic law in eight countries. In Saudi Arabia and Iran, shari'a has a consolidated position in the legal system and receives popular support. In Afghanistan, Pakistan, and Egypt, shari'a is constitutionally established, but its implementation continues to be a contested issue. The other three countries reflect more diversity and complexity. In Nigeria the federal state is secular, while shari'a is in place in most of the Muslim-majority states; in Indonesia the federal state is secular, while legal codes based on shari'a were passed in 53 of 470 districts and municipalities; and Turkey is a centralized secular state. Chapters examine the impacts of colonization, state-building, and local traditions, as well as the roles of governmental and societal actors, on the diverse practices of Islamic law. The contributors successfully expose both opponents and proponents of shari'a in a balanced way. This interdisciplinary book challenges various misperceptions about Islamic law by revealing the dynamic relationships among the state, society, and shari'a in significant cases. It is a must readinló€