Israel: High Court Reaffirms Rabbinical Courts Lack Jurisdiction to Adjudicate Child Support Absent Consent of Both Parties
On February 19, 2025, Israel’s High Court of Justice, by a two to one majority, accepted four petitions filed by fathers challenging the decisions of rabbinical courts concerning child support in the context of divorce proceedings. The Court voided the decisions, determining that they were given without authority. (HCJ 5988/21, Anonymous v. Anonymous.)Legal FrameworkDisputes of … Continue reading “Israel: High Court Reaffirms Rabbinical Courts…
Contributor:
Levush, Ruth
Date:2025-02-27
Article
Iraq: House of Representatives Approves Amendments to Law on Personal Status
On January 21, 2025, the Iraqi House of Representatives (parliament) approved a new law amending Law No. 188 of 1959 on personal status. The new law allows Muslim couples to select the Jaafari Shiite school of jurisprudence as the governing law for their marriage and family. Main Provisions The newly enacted law, sponsored by the … Continue reading “Iraq: House of Representatives Approves Amendments…
Contributor:
Sadek, George
Date:2025-02-14
Article
India: Supreme Court Stays Requirement for Eatery Owners to Display Names Along Routes of Annual Hindu Pilgrimage
On July 22, 2024, the Supreme Court of India issued an interim order staying directives issued by police in the states of Uttar Pradesh and Uttarakhand requiring restaurants and eatery owners along the routes of an annual Hindu pilgrimage to disclose the names of owners and employees on display boards.BackgroundThe annual pilgrimage of Kanwar Yatra … Continue reading “India: Supreme Court Stays Requirement for…
Contributor:
Ahmad, Tariq
Date:2024-08-06
Article
India: Assam Legislative Assembly Passes Assam Healing (Prevention of Evil) Practices Bill, 2024
On February 26, 2024, the Legislative Assembly of Assam passed the Assam Healing (Prevention of Evil) Practices Bill, 2024. According to the bill’s preamble, the aim of the bill is to “bring social awakening in the society”; “create healthy, science-based knowledge” and a “safe environment to protect human health against evil and sinister practices”; and … Continue reading “India: Assam Legislative Assembly Passes Assam…
Contributor:
Ahmad, Tariq
Date:2024-03-28
Article
Pakistan: Supreme Court Releases on Bail an Ahmadi Muslim Detained for Distributing Proscribed Commentary on Holy Quran
On February 6, 2024, the Supreme Court of Pakistan issued a two-judge decision (which included the chief justice), releasing on bail an applicant who was arrested and charged with “distributing/disseminating a proscribed book” — the Tafseer-e-Sagheer, an Urdu commentary on the Holy Quran attributed to the Ahmadi Muslim minority community. The community is considered heretical … Continue reading “Pakistan: Supreme Court Releases on Bail…
Contributor:
Ahmad, Tariq
Date:2024-03-10
Article
United Arab Emirates: Federal Parliament Approves New Draft Law Regulating Right to Issue Religious Fatwas
On January 31, 2024, the Federal National Council (parliament) of the United Arab Emirates (UAE) approved a draft law that regulates the right to issue fatwas in the country. A fatwa is a decree in Islam issued by qualified scholars in Islamic law according to the Holy Qur’an and the Sunna of the Prophet Muhammad. … Continue reading “United Arab Emirates: Federal Parliament Approves…
Contributor:
Sadek, George
Date:2024-02-21
Article
Iran: Law to Protect the Family by Promoting the Culture of Chastity and Hijab Proposed
On July 27, 2023, Iran’s Parliamentary Judicial Commission introduced substantial changes to a bill drafted last April titled the Protection of the Culture of Chastity and Hijab Law. The purpose of the proposed law is to suppress the growing movement of women in the country who defy previous rules mandating the wearing of headscarves in … Continue reading “Iran: Law to Protect the Family…
Contributor:
Ahmad, Tariq
Date:2023-09-05
Article
Pakistan: Sindh High Court Releases on Bail Ahmadi Lawyer Arrested for Using Title “Syed” in His Name
On May 22, 2023, the Sindh High Court issued an order releasing on bail an applicant who was arrested for using the title “Syed” (descendant of the Prophet Muhammad) in his name. The applicant, a 76-year-old lawyer and advocate of the Supreme Court of Pakistan who is a member of the Ahmadi Muslim minority, was … Continue reading “Pakistan: Sindh High Court Releases on…
Contributor:
Ahmad, Tariq
Date:2023-06-21
Article
India: Supreme Court Recognizes ‘Irreconcilable Differences’ as a Ground for Divorce under Hindu Law
On May 1, 2023, a five-judge constitutional bench of the Supreme Court of India, in accordance with the discretionary powers granted to the court under Article 142(1) of the Constitution of India, held that marriages under Hindu law can be dissolved on the ground of irretrievable breakdown. The court’s main holding was that the court … Continue reading “India: Supreme Court Recognizes ‘Irreconcilable Differences’…
Contributor:
Ahmad, Tariq
Date:2023-05-29
Article
Pakistan: Balochistan Government Drafts Bill Outlawing Child Marriage
On March 22, 2023, the government of Balochistan province in Pakistan reportedly informed Pakistan’s Federal Shariat Court (FSC) that it had finalized a bill outlawing child marriage and would be submitting it to the provincial assembly for approval soon.Background to the BillThe province of Sindh enacted Pakistan’s first law prohibiting child marriages, called the Sindh … Continue reading “Pakistan: Balochistan Government Drafts Bill Outlawing…
Contributor:
Ahmad, Tariq
Date:2023-04-19
Article
Kuwait and Iraq: Ministries of Interior Issue Warnings about Penalties against Persons Eating and Drinking in Public during Ramadan
On March 22, 2023, the Iraqi Ministry of Interior (homeland security) issued a statement banning eating and drinking in public during the day in the Islamic holy month of Ramadan. The statement also warns that any individual who violates the ministry’s instructions will be punished according to the Iraqi Penal Code.According to article 240 of … Continue reading “Kuwait and Iraq: Ministries of Interior…
Contributor:
Sadek, George
Date:2023-04-05
Article
Egypt: Authorities Arrest 29 for Fraudulent Cryptocurrency Investment Scheme
On March 7, 2023, Egyptian authorities arrested 29 individuals, including 13 foreigners, for operating a fraudulent cryptocurrency online investment scheme. The Egyptian Public Prosecution’s Social Media Monitoring Unit and the Ministry of Interior’s Counter-Cyber Crime Department had detected several posts on social media accusing the founders of the “Hoggpool” platform of scamming its users.The HoggPool … Continue reading “Egypt: Authorities Arrest 29 for Fraudulent…
Contributor:
Sadek, George
Date:2023-03-30
Article
United Arab Emirates: Personal Status Law for Non-Muslims Enters into Force
On February 1, 2023, family courts in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) began implementing Federal Decree Law No. 41 of 2022 regulating matters of family law for non-Muslims residing in the United Arab Emirates.Contents of Law No. 41 of 2022Law No. 41 of 2022 consists of 18 provisions that institute a substantive secular personal-status legal regime exclusively … Continue reading “United Arab Emirates: Personal…
Contributor:
Sadek, George
Date:2023-03-13
Article
Pakistan: Amendment to Blasphemy Law Passes in Lower House of Parliament
On January 17, 2023, the National Assembly, the lower house of Pakistan’s federal Parliament, unanimously passed an amendment to Pakistan’s blasphemy law through the Criminal Laws (Amendment) Act, 2023. This private member’s bill was introduced by Moulana Abdul Akbar Chitrali, a member of the religious party Jamaat-e-Islami. In the statement of objects and reasons for … Continue reading “Pakistan: Amendment to Blasphemy Law Passes…
Contributor:
Ahmad, Tariq
Date:2023-02-13
Article
Pakistan: Federal Shariat Court Upholds Punjab Protection of Women against Violence Act
On Nov. 22, 2022, the Federal Shariat Court (FSC) of Pakistan issued a judgment determining that no provision of the Punjab Protection of Women against Violence Act, 2016, a law enacted by the Provincial Assembly of the Punjab, is “against the injunctions of Islam as laid down in the Holy Quran and Sunnah.”Under article 203D(1) … Continue reading “Pakistan: Federal Shariat Court Upholds Punjab…
Contributor:
Ahmad, Tariq
Date:2023-01-25
Article
United Arab Emirates: Emirate of Abu Dhabi Ratifies Executive Regulation for New Family Law Permitting Civil Marriage
On February 6, 2022, Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed Al Nahyan, deputy prime minister of the United Arab Emirates and the head of the Judicial Department in the Emirate of Abu Dhabi, ratified the executive regulation of Law No. 14 of 2021 concerning the Personal Status for Non-Muslim Foreigners in the Emirate of Abu Dhabi. According … Continue reading “United Arab Emirates: Emirate of Abu…
Contributor:
Sadek, George
Date:2022-03-27
Article
Israel: Rabbinical Courts’ Jurisdiction Extended to Enable Jewish Divorce When a ‘Get’ Cannot be Processed Abroad
On November 30, 2021, the Knesset (Israel’s parliament) passed the Rabbinical Court Jurisdiction (Marriage and Divorce (Amendment No. 5 and Temporary Order) Law, 5782-2021 (Amendment Law). The Amendment Law extends the jurisdiction of Israeli rabbinical courts to adjudicate divorce cases involving parties that do not comply with the requirements under the Rabbinical Court Jurisdiction (Marriage … Continue reading “Israel: Rabbinical Courts’ Jurisdiction Extended to…
Contributor:
Levush, Ruth
Date:2021-12-26
Article
Jordan: Religious Authorities Drafting New Law Regulating Blood Money Payments (Diya)
On October 10, 2021, the king of Jordan’s adviser for tribal affairs, Atef al-Hajaya, confirmed that work is underway to issue a new law regulating diya — monetary compensation, or “blood money” — paid by a killer and his relatives to the families of the victims in homicide cases.Al-Hajaya stated that the chief justice of … Continue reading “Jordan: Religious Authorities Drafting New Law…
Contributor:
Sadek, George
Date:2021-11-29
Article
Egypt: Predominant Religious Institution Dar al-Iftaa States Part-Time Marriage Contract Legally Invalid
On August 22, 2021, Dar al-Iftaa al-Misriyyah, the main religious organization in charge of issuing religious decrees (fatwas) regulating the life of Egyptian Muslims, issued a statement dismissing a new type of marriage contract, called the “part-time marriage contract.” Islamic religious scholars affiliated with the organization argued that the part-time marriage contract is in violation … Continue reading “Egypt: Predominant Religious Institution Dar al-Iftaa…
Contributor:
Sadek, George
Date:2021-09-09
Article
Israel: New Amendment Ends Haredi Control of Selection of Rabbinical Judges
On July 28, 2021, the Knesset (Israel’s parliament), in a 59–54 vote, passed the Rabbinical Judges (Amendment No. 29) Law 5781- 2021 (amendment law), amending the Rabbinical Judges Law, 5714-1955, as amended.The Rabbinical Judges Law regulates the procedures governing the eligibility, selection, and tenure of judges for rabbinical courts in Israel. Rabbinical courts, in accordance … Continue reading “Israel: New Amendment Ends Haredi Control…
Contributor:
Levush, Ruth
Date:2021-08-11
Article
Pakistan: Domestic Violence Bill Referred to Council of Islamic Ideology
In a letter to National Assembly Speaker Asad Qaiser dated July 5, 2021, the adviser on parliamentary affairs to Pakistan’s prime minister, Babar Awan, recommended that the Domestic Violence (Prevention and Protection) Bill, 2021 be referred for review to the Council of Islamic Ideology (CII)—a constitutional advisory body on Shari‘a law issues. In providing his … Continue reading “Pakistan: Domestic Violence Bill Referred to…
Contributor:
Ahmad, Tariq
Date:2021-08-11
Article
European Union: European Court of Justice Upholds Flemish Requirement to Stun Animals Before Slaughter
(Dec. 31, 2020) On December 17, 2020, the Court of Justice of the European Union ruled that a decree requiring that animals undergo a reversible (temporary) stunning procedure before slaughter is not an illegal infringement of freedom of religion as guaranteed by the Charter of Fundamental Rights of the European Union. At issue was a […]
Contributor:
Boring, Nicolas
Date:2020-12-31
Article
Algeria: National Bank Officially Launches Islamic Banking
(Nov. 23, 2020) On August 4, 2020, Algeria’s National Bank officially launched Islamic banking as the first state-owned bank to practice Islamic banking services in Algeria. The launching of Islamic banking on the level of state-owned banks is in accordance with the government’s efforts to establish a more effective and diversified national financial market. The […]
Contributor:
Saddy, John Al
Date:2020-11-23
Article
Saudi Arabia: Flogging and Death Abolished as Ta‘zeer Penalties
(Aug. 3, 2020) On July 15, 2020, the director of the Human Rights Commission of Saudi Arabia, Awwad bin Saleh, announced that the commission is planning to launch a number of initiatives to highlight the kingdom’s reforms in the field of human rights. Those reforms include abolishing flogging and capital punishment for minors as ta‘zeer […]
Contributor:
Sadek, George
Date:2020-08-03
Article
Sudan: New Law Amending Penal Code Takes Effect
(July 23, 2020) On July 13, 2020, the Sudanese Official Gazette published Law No. 12 of 2020, which amends 15 provisions of the Penal Code of 1991. According to Justice Minister Nasredeen Abdulbari, the new provisions are part of Sudan’s efforts to eliminate all laws that violate human rights and “demolish any kind of discrimination […]
