Sharia

A foundational document to Islam, the Hadith plays a core role in the determination of Sharia law. "Hadith, as defined by Understanding Islam, is a narration of the words or acts of the Prophet, as perceived and transmitted by...

"The former chief executive officer of the Dubai Islamic Bank was yesterday accused in a Dubai court of concealing a fraud leading to a loss to the bank of $490 million.

Local prosecutors have charged seven suspects, five businessmen and two former employees of the bank, of defrauding the bank of $490 million between 2004 and 2007, according to the report carried in Gulf News today."

"A secular economist would see little or no substantive distinction between the sharing of profit, sanctioned by Islamic law, and interest, which is not. Credit has a cost, and under perfect competition, this is the interest rate--the price at which lenders agree to supply the same amount of money that borrowers agree to borrow. Banks don't determine where that point is; they act only as...

"A federal judge in Michigan has declined to dismiss an ex-Marine's lawsuit that insurance giant AIG is using tax dollars to promote Islamic Sharia law and charities that may be funneling money to terrorist organizations. Just when you thought the government's massive bailout of AIG couldn't get more complicated or controversial. The facts of the case 'raise a...

This post reflects on the West's disturbance at the "corporal punishment" Sharia law often inflicts on its followers. The author declares that "[s]ince sharia is their call to arms, there needs to be a clear and concerted effort to get mainstream ulema to get together and show the Taliban on Islamic terms that the kinds of measures they are following are nothing more than medieval tribal...

"Islamic banking practices can teach us important lessons in the wake of the global financial crisis, writes La Trobe University's Dr Hayat Khan."

"There can be no reasonable argument against removing Talibanesque requirements that women wear burqas. But Western lawmakers who compel women either to abandon the burqa or never appear legally in public are equally intolerant of women’s choices."

"The Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR), headquartered in Washington, is perhaps the best-known and most controversial Muslim organization in North America. CAIR presents itself as an advocate for Muslims' civil rights and the spokesman for American Muslims. 'We are similar to a Muslim NAACP,' says its communications director, Ibrahim Hooper. ... Its official mission—'to enhance...

This article discusses the study of sharia by women in Afghanistan. It attempts to assess whether schools for women, which were previously illegal under the Taliban, are actually a double-edged sword due to their strict religious nature. 

"Canadian Islamists who have been trying to bring in Sharia into Canada, so far without success, have now chosen another route - Islamic banking.

According to Tarek Fatah, founder of the Muslim Canadian Congress, 'In 2003, we saw Islamists trying to sneak Sharia into Canada through the backdoor of Family Law and under the cover of Multiculturalism. Now, they seem to be taking a...

"Judaism, Christianity, and Islam are three closely related religions. Because they all revere Abraham and certain other patriarchs mentioned in the Hebrew Scriptures (the Torah), Christian Scriptures (Old and New Testaments) and Qur'an as their spiritual ancestors, they are sometimes called Abrahamic religions.

The Baha'i Faith is sometimes also included in this grouping. Christians...

In this piece, Mark Durie takes a look at the Islamic bent toward violence. Durie presents passages from the Koran which suggest that violence is supported and encouraged by Islamic sources and then compares this to his understanding of Christian teachings.

Cinnamon Stillwell describes a television broadcast covering two promoters of Sharia Law for women. The two people on the show were executive director and senior analyst for Gallup Poll Dalia Mogahed, and Nazreen Nawaz, member of Hizb ut Tahir. The two claimed most Islamic women desire Sharia Law because it provides a better life than any Western law. Nawaz even declared Western liberty was...

"As the fastest growing global super-power, China commands attention by all the super-powers and especially by the middle powers all over the world. Pundits ask whether Islamic Banking, which China looks upon favorably, will be a new challenge to Wall Street. Islamic banking will not pose a quantitative challenge in terms of nominal assets during our lifetime, but it has the potential to...

"The rise of anti-Muslim sentiment in America has brought with it a wave of largely-unsubstantiated suggestions from conservative media commentators and politicians that America is at risk of falling under the sway of Sharia law. ...

The outcry over Sharia law has been tied in large part to the controversy around the Islamic cultural center two blocks from the site of the Sept. 11...

"Fear never goes out of fashion. Once again Republicans are dealing in fear instead of facts, and why not? It's worked in the past, and a nation that's locked in seemingly permanent recession and high unemployment may be in the market for some scapegoats.

Monday's Republican presidential debate was the opening salvo in a tawdry little war on truth that's likely to last until next...

"The goals of maximizing profit and fulfilling a moral agenda conflict more often than they complement one another, and investors who want to put ethics first have turned out to be relatively few. 'Socially responsible investing,' or SRI, as it is called these days, has never captured the heart of Wall Street.

That could be changing. Finance that complies with Sharia, or Islamic law, is...

Emily Ekins focuses on potential presidential candidate Herman Cain and his statements about the Islamic faith and Muslims in general. She takes aim at the clear prejudice of his statements and at the lack of condemnation on either side of them.

This piece advises American investors on the various investment options available in Islamic nations. One of the investment suggestions concerns "Sharia-compliant funds." According to Shumsky, "These mutual funds pick their investments in accordance with the religious rules that make up Sharia law, eschewing investments in industries deemed unethical, including gambling, alcohol and...

"To better understand Islam, one must appreciate the thoroughly legalistic nature of the religion. According to sharia (Islamic law) every conceivable human act is categorised as being either forbidden, discouraged, permissible, recommended, or obligatory.

'Common sense' or 'universal opinion' has little to do with Islam's notions of right and wrong. Only what Allah (through the Quran)...

"We all have regrets and one of mine is not undertaking an optional unit of study in Islamic banking as part of my MBA. No society can claim a monopoly on wisdom and humanity would benefit from a sharing of ideas across borders and cultures.

The credit crisis has shown that the West’s capitalist system is not perfect. The $64 question is: Can we learn anything from the East’s Islamic...

"Muslim scholars say the Qur’an prohibits collecting interest on loans. But many banks, both global and local, have found clever ways to meet religious strictures. It’s a system that may be hypocritical, but also profitable."

When British banking giant HSBC Group (HBC) began offering mortgages carefully formulated to meet Islamic banking practices last year in Malaysia, it was surprised that more than half of its customers were non-Muslim. What drew these customers to alternative financing that conforms to the strict dictates of Islam? Bank officials say that competitive pricing makes their Muslim-friendly...

"The notion of 'Islamic finance' was born during the tumultuous identity-politics years of the mid-twentieth century. Indian, Pakistani, and Arab thinkers contemplated independence from Britain, and independence of Pakistan from India, within a context of 'Islamic society.' Islam was assumed to inspire political, economic, and financial systems that are distinctive and independent of the...

"An Obama administration strategy for building contacts in Muslim communities is taking heat from the left and the right, amid increasing concerns about homegrown Islamic terrorism.

Under the program, which extends one begun under President George W. Bush, U.S. law-enforcement officials meet frequently with Muslim groups to discuss their concerns about discrimination. The hope is that...

"One of the Quran’s main arguments for its own legitimacy is the claim that it "confirms the earlier Scriptures (Torah and Gospel)". Inspired by this, Muslims occasionally make the argument for the legitimacy of Islam by drawing out similarities between Islamic law and the instructions given in the previous Scriptures, specifically in the Law of Moses. Muslims often try to claim a continuity...

This article describes the 2004 Ontario controversy over the attempt to "use Islamic sharia law in family disputes." Supporters of the proposal declared that "freedom of religion as guaranteed under Canada's Constitution means not only freedom to practise and propagate religion but also to be able to be governed by one's religious laws in all aspects of one's life." Opponents of the idea,...

"There are many reasons to find problems with sharia law. In its full form, it contains numerous provisions that are barbaric and irreconcilable with any advanced society: stoning married adulterers, flogging the unmarried, throwing homosexuals from roofs or steep hills, amputating limbs for theft, and much more. But sharia is much wider than that. It moves seamlessly from the public to the...

"Ali, the author of Infidel, criticizes President Obama’s political rhetoric in the Middle East (June 2009) regarding better relations between America and the Muslim world. She argues that unless sharia is eliminated, then various aid programs to the Middle East, such as providing for female literacy, Muslims will not gain true freedom or rights. "

"The world's attention may have wandered from Iran, but recent reports from the country reveal a government that is as willing as ever to suppress dissent and a judiciary that still plans to execute a woman saved from a stoning sentence last month."

The article describes a situation in which a Saudi Arabian judge asked various hospitals about their ability to paralyze an individual because of his crime against another man. This follows the Sharia practice of "eye-for-an-eye" punishments.

"To Muslims the Koran is the very word of God, who spoke through the Angel Gabriel to Muhammad: 'This book is not to be doubted,' the Koran declares unequivocally at its beginning. Scholars and writers in Islamic countries who have ignored that warning have sometimes found themselves the target of death threats and violence, sending a chill through universities around the world.

Yet...

"In a German case in which a Muslim, Moroccan-born 26-year-old mother of two was petitioning for an expedited divorce from a man who had beaten her and threatened her life, Judge Christa Datz-Winter denied the woman’s request, a woman who already had a restraining order on her husband after police were called last May because he attacked her. The reason for the injudicious divorce denial? The...

Applebaum comments on the archbishop of Canterbury declaring that integrating some aspects of Sharia law into the British legal system are “unavoidable.”

Nezar Hamze describes the misconception many Americans have concerning Islam and Sharia Law. He details reasons for why it is not a threat. He says politicians are only painting Sharia Law in a negative light to use as a campaign strategy for upcoming elections.

"On November 2, Sooner State voters overwhelmingly approved a referendum that directs courts to 'rely on federal and state law when deciding cases' and forbids 'courts from considering or using international law' or 'Sharia law.' Muneer Awad responded by filing suit, and Judge Micki Miles-LaGrange, a Clinton appointee, promptly issued a temporary restraining order, putting the people’s voice...

"While this article is not exhaustive of the intricacies of the Islamic marriage contract, it is intended to provide a brief overview and understanding to legal practitioners. As the Muslim population grows within the United States, it will become increasingly important for lawyers to understand the intricacies of Islamic law and provide solutions to this emerging group of Americans that will...

"Brig Hossien Sajedinia, Tehran's police chief, said a national crackdown on opposition sympathisers would be extended to women who have been deemed to be violating the spirit of Islamic laws. He said: 'The public expects us to act firmly and swiftly if we see any social misbehaviour by women, and men, who defy our Islamic values. In some areas of north Tehran we can see many suntanned women...

"The American Bar Association (ABA) has decided to undertake the fight for Sharia law. The ABA's Executive Counsel 'has organized a Task Force to review the legislation of 14 states -- Alaska, Arizona, Arkansas, Georgia, Indiana, Louisiana, Mississippi, Nebraska, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Utah and Wyoming -- in which anti-Sharia legislation has been introduced.'

...

"If you are not vitally concerned about the possibility of radical Muslims infiltrating the U.S. government and establishing a Taliban-style theocracy, then you are not a candidate for the GOP presidential nomination. In addition to talking about tax policy and Afghanistan, Republican candidates have also felt the need to speak out against the menace of 'sharia.'" Amy Sullivan goes on to say...

This brief article details a recent Islamic stoning. According to Gunlock, a thirteen-year-old girl was accused of adultery after reporting that she was raped by three men.

This article describes the great contrasts within Turkey concerning religion and secular life:
"Turkey has become an important part of the dialogue about differences between the Muslim world and the West. With strong ties to both, Turkey seems to be making up its own rules. It is pursuing membership in the European Union, but also reaffirming ties with Middle Eastern countries. Its...

"In the past year, a group of conservative pundits and analysts have identified Sharia, or Islamic religious law, as a growing threat to the United States. These pundits and analysts argue that the steady adoption of Sharia’s tenets is a strategy extremists are using to transform the United States into an Islamic state."

"It is widely believed that Muslim 'martyrs' enjoy rich sensual rewards on reaching paradise. A new study suggests they may be disappointed."

"Last week in Tennessee, a Republican legislator introduced a bill that would make following sharia — Islamic law — a felony, punishable by up to 15 years in prison. How such a law would be enforced is not clear; furthermore, it’s probably unconstitutional.

It is clear, though, that an anti-sharia movement is growing in the United States. Last year Oklahoma voters approved a measure...

"The countries which apply, to some degree, Sharia law."

"Since the United States was attacked on September 11, 2001, there have been many studies of Islamic groups, such al Qaeda, which oppose the United States and use violence against civilians. However there has been relatively little research into how these groups are viewed by the larger Muslim society from which they arise. The attitudes of this larger society are important for a variety of...

"Muslim Americans hold liberal political views on questions about the size and scope of government. At the same time, however, they are socially conservative and supportive of a strong role for government in protecting morality.

When asked to choose, 70% express a preference for a larger government providing more
services; just 21% prefer a smaller government providing fewer...

In a survey on economic and national security concerns, researchers questioned Moms and individuals in the Gen-Y age range about their views on "homegrown jihadist terrorists. A jihadist is a Muslim involved in a holy war of destruction targeted against those who do not share their religious beliefs."

"And still thinking about the Muslim Brotherhood, a U.S. Chapter of this organization was formed and has been in operation since the 1960s. Although the Brotherhood insists it is a peaceful organization that opposes the use of terrorism in order to further their objectives, a number of terrorist analysts argue that this organization is a breeding ground for jihadi and terrorist ideologies....

"The Muslim Brotherhood was established in Egypt in the 1920s and is one of the oldest and largest Islamist groups. It serves as the largest political opposition in many Arab states. The Brotherhood’s stated goal is to instill the Koran, and what is referred to as 'Sharia' law, as the governing body for the family, community and government law. While the Brotherhood claims to be committed...

According to this chart, with the exception of four countries, the majority of Muslims want Islam to play a large role in politics.

This chart shows the percentage of Turks who agree with certain conclusions about Sharia law.

"This study analyzes the constitutional provisions currently in place concerning the relationship between religion and the state, freedom of religion or belief, and related human rights in predominantly Muslim countries."

"Since the United States was attacked on September 11, 2001, there have been many studies of Islamic groups, such al Qaeda, which oppose the United States and use violence against civilians. However there has been relatively little research into how these groups are viewed by the larger Muslim society from which they arise. The attitudes of this larger society are important for a variety of...

"In Sections 1 and 2, the article shall provide a brief introduction to various notions of Islamic law as they exist today, as well as the common-law nature of Islamic jurisprudence to establish the possibility of finding a compromise that renders minor modifications of the existing juristic positions coherent. In Sections 3 and 4, the article will provide translations of the entire Azhar IRI...

"The forbidden bay‘u al-gharar can best be translated as 'trading in risk'. In the face of risk, any trade would involve some degree of trading in risk, and thus jurists disagree over whether a specific contract is forbidden or not based on their varying assessments of whether the amount of risk is substantial or small. Moreover, the prohibition is often overruled in cases where clear economic...

"The Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) was created as an 'organization that challenges stereotypes of Islam and Muslims,' ... a 'Washington-based Islamic advocacy group' ... and an 'organization dedicated to providing an Islamic perspective on issues of importance to the American public.' ... Prior to establishing CAIR, its founders observed that 'the core challenge [in America],...

"Supporters of political Islam have launched a multifaceted assault on the principles of freedom in the West. Political Islam includes the establishment of Sharia (the body of Islamic religious law), which contains harsh restrictions on freedom of expression, as well as harsh punishments for apostasy and blasphemy and standards at odds with modern Western norms of gender equality. Political...

"Over the last decade, Islamic banking has experienced global growth rates of 10-15 percent per annum, and has been moving into an increasing number of conventional financial systems at such a rapid pace that Islamic financial institutions are present today in over 51 countries. Despite this consistent growth, many supervisory authorities and finance practitioners remain unfamiliar with the...

"Christianity and Islam share much common ground. Both trace their roots to Abraham. Both believe in prophecy, God's messengers (apostles), revelation, scripture, the resurrection of dead, and the centrality of religious community. This last element is especially important. Both Christianity and Islam have a communitarian dimension: what the church is to Christianity the 'umma' is to Islam....

"Whether Islamic values are compatible with the institutions of free societies is relevant most importantly for the future of Muslim countries. Yet it is also of immense practical relevance for the West, which has received substantial numbers of immigrants from Muslim countries. How should the West deal with them? How can Westerners be liberal in their immigration policies but protective of...

"Sharia, or Islamic law, influences the legal code in most Muslim countries. A movement to allow sharia to govern personal status law, a set of regulations that pertain to marriage, divorce, inheritance, and custody, is even expanding into the West. 'There are so many varying interpretations of what sharia actually means that in some places it can be...

"Islamic finance is based on principles of shariah, or 'Islamic law.' Major principles of shariah are a ban on interest, a ban on contractual uncertainty, adherence to risk-sharing and profitsharing, promotion of ethical investments that enhance society, and asset-backing. The international market for Islamic finance has grown between 10% to 15% annually in recent...

"Shari'a is the guidance, the teachings, the rulings, and the way of life Allah sent through His messengers for humanity to attain success in this life and the eternal life. The final seal of this guidance is the Shari'a of Islam sent to Prophet Muhammad (pbuh). The word Shari'a is misunderstood by many Muslims and non-Muslims and it is often confined to criminal law. ... This limited...

"The first-ever, nationwide, random sample survey of Muslim Americans finds them to be largely assimilated, happy with their lives, and moderate with respect to many of the issues that have divided Muslims and Westerners around the world.

The Pew Research Center conducted more than 55,000 interviews to obtain a national sample of 1,050 Muslims living in the United States. Interviews...

"This paper surveys the application and perception of Islamic family law in the United States, and the impact of living in this intersection of legal authority on America's Muslim families and communities. In the first section, 'Islamic Family Law' in Muslim Hands, we address the intellectual and social discourse of US Muslims on Islamic family law topics, paying special attention to key...

"Two years ago, Amina, a Muslim woman, approached a religious teacher near her home outside London. She wished to divorce her husband. They had married in Pakistan, moved to England, and later separated. Amina was planning to file for divorce in court, but wanted proof that she was divorced religiously in case she wished to remarry. The teacher referred her to London’s Islamic Sharia Council,...

This article discusses the Sharia arbitration debate in Ontario, Canada. The article states that no conclusion has been made regarding the issue because there are too many things to be considered.

A report examining past jihadists and their actions leading up to their preforming jihad. It attempts to draw conclusions from the behavioral studies, which looked at such traits as religious fervor and mosque attendance. The study concluded that a high adherence to Sharia within a mosque lead to a greater predispositions to violent actions and jihad.

"Should we allow sharia law to exist alongside British law? Most British people would answer this question with a resounding ‘no’. It’s not just that many requirements of sharia law are incompatible with our own laws. That would be bad enough. The reason for the justified and spontaneous outrage that followed the Archbishop of Canterbury’s call for the recognition of sharia law in 2008 was...

"This study is the result of months of analysis, discussion and drafting by a group of top security policy experts concerned with the preeminent totalitarian threat of our time: the legal-political-military doctrine known within Islam as 'shariah.' It is designed to provide a comprehensive and articulate 'second opinion' on the official characterizations and assessments of this threat as put...

"Muslim women frequently face two distinct difficulties in their ongoing struggle to achieve what the Lahore High Court referred to more than six decades ago as 'treatment such as emancipated Indian women [sic; read 'women in general'] naturally consider they have a right to insist upon': -- (i) lack of information concerning the rights which Muslim law confers...

"Abstract: What challenges does Islamism pose domestically to the core principles of Western plural societies, particularly the United States? Although Islamist rhetoric is sharp and polarizing, many of these tenets have been derived from classical Islamic sources, and Islamists reject any interpretations of them offered by 'reform-minded' or 'moderate' Muslims. Western European and British...

This piece explores important aspects of Sharia including its development, family law teachings, criminal law teachings, teachings on criminal procedure, and how Islamic law has evolved today. 

"The Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) has a record of exemplary social and political activism stretching back to 1994. The organization is arguably the most visible and public representative of the American Muslim community.

Because of CAIR’s high profile and very public record of principled advocacy of civil liberties, interfaith relations and justice for all people, a...

"The speed of the war in Iraq and the prevailing belief that the Iraqi people are better off as a result have modestly improved the image of America. But in most countries, opinions of the U.S. are markedly lower than they were a year ago. The war has widened the rift between Americans and Western Europeans, further inflamed the Muslim world, softened support for the war on terrorism, and...

"Although questions of implementation remain, the new Iraqi constitution makes Islam the law of the land. This need not mean trouble for Iraq's women, however. Sharia is open to a wide range of interpretations, some quite egalitarian. If Washington still hopes for a liberal order in Iraq, it should start working with progressive Muslim scholars to advance women's rights through religious...

"[L]ocal news coverage of ABC27 on the trial of Talaag E. The judge a self professed Muslim is irate and ignores the police officer and the witness. His finding, 'You have offended their culture, their being, (dressing up as Mohammed) I find it offensive...'"

"Emory Law Professor Abdullahi An-Naim discusses the postcolonial condition of Muslim states while presenting the 2007 Currie Lecture, The Future of Shari'a: Secularism from an Islamic Perspective, at Emory University School of Law."

This video describes how Islamic banks and financial systems work. The American loan crisis is then discussed and its relative lack of negative effect on the Muslim world is credited to their resistance to monetary interest.

"From the Iranium Raw Interview Files: Parts of Manda Zand Ervin's original interview. Under the Islamic Republic government regime, women are deprived of multiple basic human rights."

In this clip, Newt Gingrich describes some of the details of Sharia law and their incompatibility with established Western law. Gingrich also warns that Sharia law is a direct attack on the principles that many liberal Americans hold dear.

This video presents a compilation of images of Sharia law in practice--many of them very disturbing. The accompanying commentary in the form of a poem decries the treatment of women and homosexuals as ordained by Sharia law.

"In what some have described as police enforcement of Sharia law at the annual Dearborn Arab International Festival, last Friday night Dearborn Police Officers arrested four Christian missionaries... [and] confiscated their video cameras which were recording the events surrounding their arrests...Arrested on charges of Breach of the Peace are: Negeen Mayel, Dr. Nabeel Qureshi, Paul Rezkalla,...

"The Lou Church Memorial Lecture in Religion and Economics presented by Mustafa Akyol at the Austrian Scholars Conference on 12 March 2011, at Ludwig von Mises Institute in Auburn, Alabama. Includes an introduction by Joseph T. Salerno."

"This book is the first attempt at writing Islamic laws For Muslims who have settled in non-Muslim Countries. Muslims who were compelled to leave their countries, and the places where they grew up, and had to migrate to non-Muslim countries in which they now live under different laws and systems, dissimilar values and rules, and unfamiliar customs and habits. The modes of conduct and manners...

“Now, I have observed that there is a class of men who believe in their superiority to others because of their greater intelligence and insight. The have abandoned all the religious duties Islam imposes on its followers. The laugh at the positive commandments of religion which enjoin the performance of acts of devotion, and the abstinence from forbidden things. They defy the injunctions of the...

The Declaration of Human Rights set to govern the members of the Organization of Islamic Conference. It sets down that the nations will be ruled according to Sharia Law. It specifically mentions the differences in rights between men and women.

In this case, a Pakistani man living in the United States sought to divorce his wife. The husband declared that he had properly followed the Pakistani laws of divorce, while the wife sought monetary reimbursement in U.S. courts. This decision overturns a lower court decision and declares the following:

"In conclusion we hold that (1) the trial judge should have afforded recognition to...

Prepared for the Ontario attorney general, Michael Bryant, this piece examines Canadian "arbitration of family law and inheritance matters and its impact on vulnerable people." This report resulted from a 2003 dispute over attempts at implementing Sharia law in Canada and includes a variety of input from Muslim adherents.

"1. The sound functioning of a financial system depends, inter alia, on the users of the system having confidence in the quality of the conduct of business by the participants offering financial products and services, and that there are adequate systems of control over the conduct of business. A framework of the principles and rules that govern effectively the conduct of business of Islamic...

"To require aliens to attest that they will not advocate installing a Sharia law system in the United States as a condition for admission, and for other purposes."

This case centered around the marriage and divorce of two Afghan descendents. On pursuing divorce, the wife claimed that she had been promised a $20,000 divorce payment during their Islamic wedding ceremony. This court decision declared "that under neutral principles of contract law, Mr. Qayoum and Ms. Obaidi did not enter into a valid agreement for payment of $20,000 to Ms. Obaidi upon...

"These are the Islamic Laws [Sharia] according to the Fatawa of Ayatullah al Uzama Syed Ali al-Husaini Seestani. This is the English Version of Taudhihul Masae'l, translated by the World Federation of KSI Muslim Communities, P.O. Box 60, Stanmore, U.K. HA7 4LQ. See also a...

"If peace, harmony and equality are to prevail we should start by learning to better communicate with each other based on mutual respect, understanding and empathy of each other. Using such terms as 'Islamic fascists', 'Muslim terrorists' and 'Islamist fundamentalist extremists' do not help in fighting the so called 'war on terrorism'.

On the contrary, such offensive, irresponsible and...

"After having briefly elucidated the meaning of Jihad and the significance of the clause ‘in the way of God’, I wish to explain in brief terms the Revolutionary Creed which Islam upholds so that it may be easily understood why Jihād is needed and what is the objective of Jihad."

In the recent case of Murray v. Geithner, the judge held the lawsuit sufficiently alleged a federal constitutional challenge to the use of taxpayer money to fund AIG’s Islamic religious activities and that times of crisis do not justify departure from the constitution.

President Obama seeks to mend the conflict between Islam and the West. He wishes to take certain steps to establish common ground between the two and to create a better understanding and relationship for the future. Additionally, he does not deny that tension exists especially in the areas of violent extremism, the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, the rights and...

This case involved the repeated assaults on a Muslim woman by her husband. This particular ruling overturned the ruling of a lower court which "fail[ed] to issue a final restraining order." Justice Payne concluded that "[t]he trial court abused its discretion by finding that defendant lacked the requisite intent to commit sexual assault and criminal sexual contact based upon his religion."

This case involved a custody battle and the controversy over whether or not the outcome should be determined in a Sharia court. Some of the judge's sentiments to this case are expressed as follows:

"We remand the case to the Probate Court (for further consideration, if possible, by the same probate judge, after such additional evidentiary inquiry as she shall determine to be appropriate...

"'Maritime transactions', as herein defined, means charter parties, bills of lading of water carriers, agreements relating to wharfage, supplies furnished vessels or repairs to vessels, collisions, or any other matters in foreign commerce which, if the subject of controversy, would be embraced within admiralty jurisdiction; 'commerce', as herein defined, means commerce among the several States...

"The Saudi Arabian legal system in 1992 was based on the sharia, or Islamic law. The sharia was applied throughout the kingdom in strict accordance with the interpretation of the Hanbali school of Sunni Islam. Because pious Muslims believed that the sharia was sacred law, they accepted as judges, or qadis, only men who had spent a number of years studying the accepted sources of the sharia:...

"In this book, now, we are going to explain such various aspects of civilization that affect human beings in their social organization, as royal authority, gainful occupation, sciences, and crafts, (all) in the light of various arguments that will show the true nature of the varied knowledge of the elite and the common people, repel misgivings, and remove doubts. We say that man is...

"Praise be to God for all His praiseworthy acts, and blessings on Mohammad, His slave, the Pure, the Chosen One and His Apostle. The purpose of the following treatise is to inquire through sacred Law whether the learning of philosophy and other sciences appertaining thereto is permitted, or called dangerous, or commended by the Law, and if commended, is it only approved or made obligatory....

"This study analyzes the constitutional provisions currently in place concerning the relationship between religion and the state, freedom of religion or belief, and related human rights in predominantly Muslim countries. The Muslim world stretches from Europe to Africa, through the Middle East and into Asia. Indeed, its geographical diversity mirrors a central...

"When — in early September 2005 — I got a brief request from my editor at the Danish daily Jyllands-Posten to draw my impression of the prophet Muhammad, I had little idea of what I was getting myself into. To me it was just another day at the office. So I tried to do the best job I could, and I drew up a picture of the prophet with a bomb in his turban. I further inserted the quotation: '...

"The United States government is actively monitoring terrorist cells affiliated with Osama bin Laden's al Qaeda network in eleven cities, from Florida to Boston to Denver to Houston. But al Qaeda is hardly our only threat. Hamas, formed in 1987, was run by top Palestinian officials in America from its earliest days, and has tentacles in Texas, California, New Jersey, Virginia, and Illinois....

"Democracy in the Middle East addresses the issues at stake in the development of democratic political systems in the Arab Middle East. The first of three sections considers the prospects for the successful introduction of democratic ideas and institutions into the Middle East: Can democracy be established in a region that has been traditionally associated with political systems that are...

"Almost 1400 years after the Prophet Muhammad first articulated God's law, "the sharia", its earthly interpreters are still arguing over what it means. Hardliners reduce it to amputations, veiling, holy war and stonings. Others say that it is humanity's only guarantee of a just society. In Heaven on Earth, Sadakat Kadri, a London-based criminal barrister and prize-winning writer, sets out to...

"What should be the place of Shari‘a—Islamic religious law—in predominantly Muslim societies of the world? In this ambitious and topical book, a Muslim scholar and human rights activist envisions a positive and sustainable role for Shari‘a, based on a profound rethinking of the relationship between religion and the secular state in all...

"From furious reactions to the cartoons of Prophet Muhammad to the suppression of women, news from the Muslim world begs the question: is Islam incompatible with freedom? With an eye sympathetic to Western liberalism and Islamic theology, Mustafa Akyol traces the ideological and historical roots of political Islam. The years following Muhammad's passing in 632 AD saw an intellectual 'war of...

"This book provides an overview of the practice of Islamic finance and the historical roots that define its modes of operation. The focus of the book is analytical and forward-looking. It shows that Islamic finance exists mainly as a form of rent-seeking legal-arbitrage. In every aspect of finance -- from personal loans to investment banking, and from market structure to corporate governance...

"Social Justice in Islam' is perhaps the best known work of Sayyib Qutb, a leading figure in the Muslim Brethen of Egypt who was executed by the regime of 'Abd al-Nasr in 1966. Despite the years that have passed since Sayyid Qutb's death, the imprint of his thought on the contemporary Islamic movements of the Arab world remains profound. The Arabic original of 'Social Justice in Islam' was...

"Perhaps no other Western writer has more deeply probed the bitter struggle in the Muslim world between the forces of religion and law and those of violence and lawlessness as Noah Feldman. His scholarship has defined the stakes in the Middle East today. Now, in this penetrating book, Feldman tells the story behind the increasingly popular call for the...

"One of the most controversial and acclaimed novels ever written, The Satanic Verses is Salman Rushdie’s best-known and most galvanizing book. Set in a modern world filled with both mayhem and miracles, the story begins with a bang: the terrorist bombing of a London-bound jet in midflight. Two Indian actors of opposing sensibilities fall to earth, transformed into living symbols of what is...

"The Third Choice provides a compelling introduction to Islam on the basis of its primary sources, the Qur'an and the life of Muhammad. Topics covered include the sharia; interpretation of the Qur'an; abrogation; women's rights (including female genital mutilation); lawful deception (taqiyya); Muhammad's responses to opposition; Islamic antisemitism; religious freedom; and prospects for...

"In a Western world suddenly acutely interested in Islam, one question has been repeatedly heard above the din: where are the Muslim reformers? With this ambitious volume, Tariq Ramadan firmly establishes himself as one of Europe's leading thinkers and one of Islam's most innovative and important voices. As the number of Muslims living in the West grows, the...

"In response to ongoing abuses of women's rights, Ayaan Hirsi Ali and her supporters established the AHA Foundation in 2007 to help protect and defend the rights of women in the West from oppression committed in the name of religion and culture.

Through education, outreach and the dissemination of knowledge, the Foundation aims to combat several types of crimes against women, including...

"Founded in Washington, DC in 2004, the Center for Islamic Pluralism (CIP) is a think tank that challenges the dominance of American Muslim life by militant Islamist groups. Specifically, our mission is to:

- Foster, develop, defend, protect, and further mobilize moderate American Muslims in their progress toward integration as an equal and respected religious community in the...

"Ikhwanweb is the Muslim Brotherhood"s only official English web site. The Main office is located in London, although Ikhwanweb has correspondents in most countries. Our staff is exclusively made of volunteers and stretched over the five continents. ...

Our main misson is to present the Muslim Brotherhood vision right from the source and rebut misonceptions about the movement in western...

"The Islamic Shari'a Council is an authoritative body, consisting of a panel of scholars, representing many established institutions in the UK, including:

1. London Central Mosque and Islamic Cultural Centre, London.

2. Muslim World League

3. Markazi Jamiat...

"The Muslim Arbitration Tribunal (MAT) was established in 2007 to provide a viable alternative for the Muslim community seeking to resolve disputes in accordance with Islamic Sacred Law and without having to resort to costly and time consuming litigation. The establishment of MAT is an important and significant step towards providing the Muslim community with a real opportunity to self...

"For nearly a decade since 9/11, America’s national security establishment’s understanding of the threat of Islamic terrorism and its approach to contending with that danger flow directly from a conviction that they have nothing to do with Islam, except to the extent al Qaeda 'perverts' or 'hijacks' that religion. But what if this characterization of the problem we continue to face is simply...