Workshop: Islamic Law, Imperialism, Colonialism, and the Modern State

Location: Zoom | Time: 12 pm to 2 pm | Date: Friday, March 28, 2025

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Workshop Presenter: Dilyara Agisheva

Dilyara Agisheva is a Postdoctoral Fellow at the Institute of Islamic Studies, University of Toronto.

Our workshop series aims to investigate the transformations in Islamic law under the influence of imperial powers, colonialism, and the modern state. Starting in September 2024, we have been meeting monthly to delve into the latest scholarly literature on Islamic legal practices within various imperial contexts. Each session has focused on different aspects of Islamic legal institutions, such as courts, legal education, legal practitioners, property practices, marriage, and other institutions affected by imperialism, colonialism, and modern state in the 18th, 19th, and 20th centuries. Our geographical scope includes the Middle East, North Africa, South Asia, and less-studied regions such as the Russian and European areas of former Ottoman provinces, as well as different regions in West Africa.

A key feature of the workshop series is the participation of authors whose books we will discuss. These scholars will present their work and engage in Q&A sessions with the audience, providing a platform for in-depth discussions. Our goal is to foster a multifaceted understanding of how Islamic law was influenced by imperial and colonial forces from the 18th century onwards.

For our March workshop, we will read and discuss introduction to the book entitled On Theocratic Criminal Law: the Rule of Religion and Punishment in Iran (2024) by Bahman Khodadadi. Please read the Introduction ahead of our workshop.