Publication

This report by the United States Institute of Peace addresses the challenge faced by modern Muslim societies in applying Sharia law in contexts that have changed markedly from those that existed during its inception. It describes three projects in Nigeria, Iran, and Indonesia where Muslim scholars and clerics have discussed the compatibility of Sharia, democracy, human rights, modernization, and pluralism. The author concludes that even though Northern Nigeria, Iran, and Aceh in Indonesia are known to be places gripped by rigid religious ideologies and practices, these projects illustrate that the application of Islamic principles to modern realities is under active review and subject to intense debate.