01. December 2001

by Khaled Abou El Fadl Since the early 1980s, commentators have argued that Islam is suffering a crisis of identity, as the crumbling of Islamic civilization in the modern age has left Muslims with a profound sense of alienation and injury. Challenges confronting Muslim nations -- failures of development projects, entrenched authoritarian regimes and the inability to respond effectively to Israeli belligerence -- have induced deep-seated frustration and anger that, in turn, contributed to the...

01. May 1999

This paper focuses on the balance between functionalism and moralism in the pre-modern juristic discourses on the rules which apply to killing at war. Classical Muslim jurists distinguish between what they call harb al-bugha and harb al-kufar (war against Muslims and war against unbelievers). The rules which apply to fighting Muslims are different from the limitations set upon the conduct of warfare against non-Muslims.