New book – Islam in the West: Iraqi Shi’i Communities in Transition and Dialogue

*Islam in the West: Iraqi Shi’i Communities in Transition and Dialogue* By Kieran Flynn Oxford: Peter Lang 259 pp. | ISBN 978-3-0343-0905-9 | £40.00 This book studies the historical, religious and political concerns of the Iraqi Shi‘i community as interpreted by the members of that community who now live in the United Kingdom and Ireland,…

Share Button
Read More

Temporary Marriages Revived In UK Shia Muslim Community

13 May 2013   The BBC reports that an Islamic practice, nikah mut’ah (temporary marriage), is gaining in popularity amongst young Shia Muslims in the UK. Described as “basically a contract,” temporary marriages allow young Muslims to meet and get to know each other before entering a permanent marriage and without breaking Islamic law. These…

Share Button
Read More

House of Commons Debates Sharia Councils

23 April 2013   On Tuesday, 23 April, the House of Commons held a debate on the role of sharia courts in the United Kingdom. With frequent reference to the BBC “Panorama” program on sharia councils which aired the previous evening, Kris Hopkins (Conservative MP for Keighley) sought clarification of the Government’s position on sharia…

Share Button
Read More

Investigation Finds Women at Risk in Sharia Courts

7 April 2013 A Crown Prosecution Service investigation of a number of Sharia courts operating in mosques across the country found that these courts may be risking the safety of women by ruling in favor of possibly abusive husbands.

Share Button
Read More

Florida State Senator: We Need to “Vaccinate” Against Shariah

As I reported in a piece for the print magazine last summer, Florida has emerged as sort of the Thunderdome of the anti-Shariah movement, with a host of lawmakers at the municipal, state, and federal level working hand-in-hand with a dedicated group of activists to combat the invisible spectre of Islamic law. Shariah isn’t coming…

Share Button
Read More