Law in the Muslim World
This course will introduce the student to selected international and comparative law issues related to the nearly 60 countries that we will consider as constituting the Muslim world, including but not limited to Afghanistan, Saudi Arabia, Iran, Iraq, Algeria, Nigeria, Palestine and Pakistan. Topics will include: Islamic sharia law as practiced in Sunni and Shia countries; unwritten customary law especially as it is interwined with religious law; civil law including constitutional, commercial, and criminal law; international human rights law, including a case study on the right to self-determination; and public international law relating to terrorism. Another major topic will be women’s rights, including a discussion of polygamy, divorce, child custody and inheritance.