On the Pope, Cartoons, and Apostates: Shari’a 2006
19 Pages Posted: 18 Feb 2020
Date Written: 2006
Abstract
The year 2006 featured highly public and internationally followed events that involved some aspect of Islamic law. This article offers a, so to speak, "year in review" on these events as analyzed from the perspective of Islamic law and legal history. The three events concerned the Danish cartoon controversy, the speech by Pope Benedict XVI at Regensberg University, and the prosecution of an Afghan man for apostasy. Putting aside the polemics that surfaced from all sides concerning these events, this article offers a sustained analysis of each issue in light of historical Islamic legal doctrine, and the place of Islam in the modern day.
Keywords: Shari'a, Danish cartoon controversy, apostate
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