A Murray State professor conducted a presentation titled Sharia law and American Family Courts which begana series of presentations that will be avaible on the University’s campus for teachers to present their research.
Ihsan Alkhatib, assistant professor of Humanities and Fine Arts, presented his findings on the Sharia law in Wayne County, Michigan, earlier this week to a small group of Murray State faculty, staff and students.
Shariah law is the Islamic law that has been developing over the years and is becoming present around large demographics of Muslims.
There is a rising concern about the Islamic religion and its application to the American court system, and how specific issues should be handled.
Clauses in the American Constitution have made two Islamic issues difficult to balance when they appear in the family court system and those are what Alkhatib addressed in his presentation.
The first issue is the Mahr which is translated in English to marriage consideration.
In the Islamic culture, the Mahr is an agreement stating a man will owe a woman he asks to marry whatever he offers money, land or other objects.
Essentially, the Mahr is a contract for religious marriage.
Judges have trouble with this Islamic practice because they are confused on what the Mahr actually is. Some states are trying to pass laws preventing judges from making decisions that revolve around religious customs such as the Mahr.
The second Islamic issue that Alkhatib discussed was a Talaq, which is a religious divorce.
The Talaq is becoming a problem in the family court system because women cannot end the divorce.
The Iman, or religious leader who performs the wedding ceremony, can end the marriage with the court’s consent.
The presentation from Alkhatib dealt with the separation between church and state.
Alkhatib said the issue of Sharia law is commonly misrepresented because the discussion is ideologically driven and not based on facts. His research was carried out to present the facts.
“It was a good turnout,” Alkhatib said. “I am thankful to the students, the professors and our dean Ted Brown for taking the time to attend.”
The presentation from Alkhatib is the first presentation in the Politics and Society Research Colloquium organized by Martin Battle and Scott Byrd.
Battle said the presentations have been organized so Murray State professors as well as faculty from other universities can present their work with the possibility of assisting students with their own research.
The next presentation will be Identities in Conflict: The Importance of War Memorials in the Military Peace Movement.
Colton Givens, senior from Morgantown, Ky., said Murray State is fortunate to have a large percentage of international students.
He said the presentation was very informative and helped him learn more about the law and the culture.
Givens said: “The issues that Alkhatib discussed are helpful for students to develop a better understanding of their classmates’ culture and heritage.”
Story by Ariel Watson, Staff writer.