Department of Arabic and Islamic Studies

News

2014-2015

NEW BOOK BY PROFESSOR AHMED FEKRY IBRAHIM

In Pragmatism in Islamic Law, Ibrahim presents a detailed history of Sunni legal pluralism and the ways in which it was employed to accommodate the changing needs of society. Since the formative period of Islamic law, jurists have debated whether it is acceptable for a law to be selected based on its utility, rather than weighing conflicting articulations of the law to determine the most likely expression of the divine will.

Read More

ONLINE MAGAZINE BRINGS NEW LIFE TO ARAB STUDIES

“The week after President Obama announced a stepped-up military campaign against jihadists in Iraq and Syria, the online magazine Jadaliyyaresponded. An essay by the Lebanese historian Fawwaz Traboulsi argued that the so-called Islamic State was born of the United States’ 2003 war on Iraq, local despotism and the thwarted hopes of the 2011 Arab uprisings. Jadaliyya’s editors were also busy in September publishing regular updates and letters of support for Steven G. Salaita, whose job offer from the University of Illinois had been rescinded over his tweets criticizing Israel.” Read More

Article in The New York Times, Oct. 12th.

THE ARAB WHODUNNIT: CRIME FICTION MAKES A COMEBACK IN THE MIDDLE EAST

“The neo-noir revolution in the Arab world might be seen as nostalgic, but it allows writers to act as ombudsmen in the current political climate.” Read More

Article in The Guardian, Oct. 2nd.