Shari’a in Everyday Life in Sydney: An Analysis of Professionals and Leaders Dealing with Islamic Law
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.1558/jasr.33846Keywords:
Shari’a, Australian Muslims, financing, parallel laws, legal pluralismAbstract
This article explores how Shari’a is conceptualised and experienced by 27 Muslim legal professionals and leaders in Sydney. It analyses qualitative data on issues with regards to the experience of Muslims with Shari’a, on how it can be improved in Australia and on how compatible is Shari’a with the Australian legal system. It also discusses Shari’a tribunals and financial opportunity. While we do not find any convincing arguments for the push to the further implementation of Shari’a in Australia, we find that despite political objections Shari’a is a vital part of everyday life for observant Australian Muslims. We are arguing that the popular political debate around Shari’a is in critical need of more exposure to balanced Muslim voices that can be heard above the popular political resistance to any manifestation of Shari’a.References
Austrade. 2010. Islamic Finance. Canberra: Australian Government.
Australian Government Board of Taxation. 2010 Review of the Taxation Treatment of Islamic Finance. Discussion Paper. Canberra: Commonwealth of Australia. Online: http://taxboard.gov.au/?les/2015/07/Islamic_Finance_Discussion_Paper.pdf.
Black, Ann. 2008. Accommodating Shariah Law in Australia’s Legal System. Can We? Should We?? Alternative Law Journal 33: 2-7. Doi: https://doi.org/10.1177/1037969X0803300405.
Black, Ann. 2010. Legal Recognition of Shari’a Law: Is This the Right Direction for Australian Family Matters? Australian Institute of Family Studies 84: 64-67.
Black, Ann. 2012. Replicating ‘A Model of Mutual Respect’: Could Singapore’s Legal Pluralism Work in Australia? The Journal of Legal Pluralism and Unof?cial Law 44(65): 65-102. Doi: https://doi.org/10.1080/07329113.2012.10756682.
Black, Ann, and Kerrie Sadiq. 2011. Good and Bad Sharia: Australia’s Mixed Response to Islamic Law. University of New South Wales Law Journal 17(1): 383-412.
Bolognani, Marta. 2007. Islam, Ethnography and Politics: Methodological Issues in Researching amongst West Yorkshire Pakistanis in 2005. International Journal of Social Research Methodology 10(4): 279-93. Doi: https://doi.org/10.1080/13645570701546570.
Douglas, Gillian, Norman Doe, Sophie Gilliat-Ray, Russell Sandberg and Asma Khan. 2011. Social Cohesion and Civil Law: Marriage, Divorce and Religious Courts. Cardiff Law School, Cardiff University. Online: http://www.law.cf.ac.uk/clr/Social%20Cohesion%20and%20Civil%20Law%20Full%20Report.pdf.
Dunn, Kevin, and Alanna Kamp. 2009. The Hopeful and Exclusionary Politics of Islam in Australia: Looking for Alternative Geographies of ‘Western Islam’. In Muslim Spaces of Hope: Geographies of Possibilities in Britain and the West, edited by R. Phillips, 41-68. Zen Books, New York.
Farrar, Salim. 2011. Accommodating Islamic Banking and Finance in Australia. University of New South Wales Law Review 34(1): 413-42.
Fekete, Liz. 2004. Anti-Muslim Racism and the European Security State. Race & Class 46(1): 3-29. Doi: https://doi.org/10.1177/0306396804045512 .
Gibson, William J., and Andrew Brown. 2009. Working with Qualitative Data. SAGE Publications, Thousand Oaks, CA. Doi: https://doi.org/10.4135/9780857029041 .
Ibrahim, Z., & Co. 2010. Demystifying Islamic Finance: Correcting Misconceptions, Advancing Value Propositions. Zaid Ibrahim & Co., Kuala Lumpur.
Johns, Amelia, Feth Mansouri and Michele Lobo. 2015. Religiosity, Citizenship and Belonging: The Everyday Experiences of Young Australian Muslims. Journal of Muslim Minority Affairs 35(2): 171-90. Doi: https://doi.org/10.1080/13602004.2015.1046262 .
Kamali, Hashim. 2008. Shari’ah Law: An Introduction. Oneworld Publications, Oxford.
Karvelos, Patricia. 2011. Attorney-General Robert McCelland Says There Is ‘No Place’ for Sharia Law in Australia. The Australian, May 17.
Karvelos, Patricia. 2012. Roxon Baulks at Role for Shari’a by Australian Muslims. The Australian, March 17.
Krayem, Ghena. 2014. Islamic Family Law in Australia: To Recognise or Not to Recognise. Melbourne University Press, Melbourne.
Kymlicka, Will. 1999. Liberal Complacencies: A Response to Susan Okin’s ‘Is Multiculturalism Bad for Women’. In Is Multiculturalism Bad for Women, edited by J. Cohen, M. Howard and N.C. Nussbaum, 31-34. Princeton University Press, Princeton, NJ.
Macfarlane, Julie. 2012. Shari’a law: Coming to a Courthouse Near You? What Shari’a Really Means to American Muslims. Report to the Institute for Social Policy and Understanding, Washington, DC.
Okin, Susan M. 1999. Is Multiculturalism Bad for Women?. In Is Multiculturalism Bad for Women, edited by J. Cohen, M. Howard and N.C. Nussbaum, 9-24. Princeton University Press, Princeton, NJ.
Parashar, Archana. 2012. Australian Muslims and Family Law: Diversity and Gender Justice. Journal of Intercultural Studies 33(5): 565-83. Doi: https://doi.org/10.1080/07256868.2012.701611.
Possamai, Adam, Bryan S. Turner, Jennifer Cheng, Malcolm Voyce and Selda Dagistanli. 2016. Shari’a and Every Day Life in Sydney. Australian Geographer 47(3): 341-54. Doi: https://doi.org/10.1080/00049182.2016.1191137 .
Possamai, Adam, Bryan S. Turner, Joshua Roose, Selda Dagistanli, and Malcolm Voyce. 2013. De?ning the Conversation about Shari’a: Representations in Australian Newspapers. Current Sociology 61(5-6): 626-45. Doi: https://doi.org/10.1177/0011392113488486.
Poynting, Scott, and Victoria Mason. 2006. ‘Tolerance, Freedom, Justice and Peace’? Britain, Australia and Anti-Muslim Racism since 11 September 2001. Journal of Intercultural Studies 27(4): 365-91. Doi: https://doi.org/10.1080/07256860600934973.
Poynting, Scott, and Victoria Mason. 2007. The Resistible Rise of Islamophobia Anti-Muslim Racism in the UK and Australia before 11 September 2001. Journal of Sociology 43(1): 61-86. Doi: https://doi.org/10.1177/1440783307073935 .
Razack, Sherene. 1994. What Is to Be Gained by Looking White People in the Eye? Culture, Race, and Gender in Cases of Sexual Violence. Signs 19(4): 894-923. Doi: https://doi.org/10.1086/494944 .
Razack, Sherene. 1998. Looking White People in the Eye: Gender, Race, and Culture in Courtrooms and Classrooms. University of Toronto Press, Toronto.
Razack, Sherene. 2007. The ‘Sharia Law Debate’ in Ontario: The Modernity/Premodernity Distinction in Legal Efforts to Protect Women from Culture. Feminist Legal Studies 15(1): 3-32. Doi: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10691-006-9050-x .
Saeed, Abdullah. 2006. Interpreting the Quran: Towards a Contemporary Approach. Routledge, Oxon.
Saeed, Abdullah. 2008. The Qur'an: An Introduction. Routledge, London.
Turner, Bryan S. 2010. Islam, Public Religions and the Secularization Debate. In Muslim Societies and the Challenge of Secularization: An Interdisciplinary Approach, edited by G. Marranci, 11-30. Springer, Dordrecht. Doi: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-90-481-3362-8_2 .
Turner, Bryan S. 2011. Religion and Modern Society: Citizenship, Secularisation and the State. Cambridge University Press, Cambridge.
Australian Government Board of Taxation. 2010 Review of the Taxation Treatment of Islamic Finance. Discussion Paper. Canberra: Commonwealth of Australia. Online: http://taxboard.gov.au/?les/2015/07/Islamic_Finance_Discussion_Paper.pdf.
Black, Ann. 2008. Accommodating Shariah Law in Australia’s Legal System. Can We? Should We?? Alternative Law Journal 33: 2-7. Doi: https://doi.org/10.1177/1037969X0803300405.
Black, Ann. 2010. Legal Recognition of Shari’a Law: Is This the Right Direction for Australian Family Matters? Australian Institute of Family Studies 84: 64-67.
Black, Ann. 2012. Replicating ‘A Model of Mutual Respect’: Could Singapore’s Legal Pluralism Work in Australia? The Journal of Legal Pluralism and Unof?cial Law 44(65): 65-102. Doi: https://doi.org/10.1080/07329113.2012.10756682.
Black, Ann, and Kerrie Sadiq. 2011. Good and Bad Sharia: Australia’s Mixed Response to Islamic Law. University of New South Wales Law Journal 17(1): 383-412.
Bolognani, Marta. 2007. Islam, Ethnography and Politics: Methodological Issues in Researching amongst West Yorkshire Pakistanis in 2005. International Journal of Social Research Methodology 10(4): 279-93. Doi: https://doi.org/10.1080/13645570701546570.
Douglas, Gillian, Norman Doe, Sophie Gilliat-Ray, Russell Sandberg and Asma Khan. 2011. Social Cohesion and Civil Law: Marriage, Divorce and Religious Courts. Cardiff Law School, Cardiff University. Online: http://www.law.cf.ac.uk/clr/Social%20Cohesion%20and%20Civil%20Law%20Full%20Report.pdf.
Dunn, Kevin, and Alanna Kamp. 2009. The Hopeful and Exclusionary Politics of Islam in Australia: Looking for Alternative Geographies of ‘Western Islam’. In Muslim Spaces of Hope: Geographies of Possibilities in Britain and the West, edited by R. Phillips, 41-68. Zen Books, New York.
Farrar, Salim. 2011. Accommodating Islamic Banking and Finance in Australia. University of New South Wales Law Review 34(1): 413-42.
Fekete, Liz. 2004. Anti-Muslim Racism and the European Security State. Race & Class 46(1): 3-29. Doi: https://doi.org/10.1177/0306396804045512 .
Gibson, William J., and Andrew Brown. 2009. Working with Qualitative Data. SAGE Publications, Thousand Oaks, CA. Doi: https://doi.org/10.4135/9780857029041 .
Ibrahim, Z., & Co. 2010. Demystifying Islamic Finance: Correcting Misconceptions, Advancing Value Propositions. Zaid Ibrahim & Co., Kuala Lumpur.
Johns, Amelia, Feth Mansouri and Michele Lobo. 2015. Religiosity, Citizenship and Belonging: The Everyday Experiences of Young Australian Muslims. Journal of Muslim Minority Affairs 35(2): 171-90. Doi: https://doi.org/10.1080/13602004.2015.1046262 .
Kamali, Hashim. 2008. Shari’ah Law: An Introduction. Oneworld Publications, Oxford.
Karvelos, Patricia. 2011. Attorney-General Robert McCelland Says There Is ‘No Place’ for Sharia Law in Australia. The Australian, May 17.
Karvelos, Patricia. 2012. Roxon Baulks at Role for Shari’a by Australian Muslims. The Australian, March 17.
Krayem, Ghena. 2014. Islamic Family Law in Australia: To Recognise or Not to Recognise. Melbourne University Press, Melbourne.
Kymlicka, Will. 1999. Liberal Complacencies: A Response to Susan Okin’s ‘Is Multiculturalism Bad for Women’. In Is Multiculturalism Bad for Women, edited by J. Cohen, M. Howard and N.C. Nussbaum, 31-34. Princeton University Press, Princeton, NJ.
Macfarlane, Julie. 2012. Shari’a law: Coming to a Courthouse Near You? What Shari’a Really Means to American Muslims. Report to the Institute for Social Policy and Understanding, Washington, DC.
Okin, Susan M. 1999. Is Multiculturalism Bad for Women?. In Is Multiculturalism Bad for Women, edited by J. Cohen, M. Howard and N.C. Nussbaum, 9-24. Princeton University Press, Princeton, NJ.
Parashar, Archana. 2012. Australian Muslims and Family Law: Diversity and Gender Justice. Journal of Intercultural Studies 33(5): 565-83. Doi: https://doi.org/10.1080/07256868.2012.701611.
Possamai, Adam, Bryan S. Turner, Jennifer Cheng, Malcolm Voyce and Selda Dagistanli. 2016. Shari’a and Every Day Life in Sydney. Australian Geographer 47(3): 341-54. Doi: https://doi.org/10.1080/00049182.2016.1191137 .
Possamai, Adam, Bryan S. Turner, Joshua Roose, Selda Dagistanli, and Malcolm Voyce. 2013. De?ning the Conversation about Shari’a: Representations in Australian Newspapers. Current Sociology 61(5-6): 626-45. Doi: https://doi.org/10.1177/0011392113488486.
Poynting, Scott, and Victoria Mason. 2006. ‘Tolerance, Freedom, Justice and Peace’? Britain, Australia and Anti-Muslim Racism since 11 September 2001. Journal of Intercultural Studies 27(4): 365-91. Doi: https://doi.org/10.1080/07256860600934973.
Poynting, Scott, and Victoria Mason. 2007. The Resistible Rise of Islamophobia Anti-Muslim Racism in the UK and Australia before 11 September 2001. Journal of Sociology 43(1): 61-86. Doi: https://doi.org/10.1177/1440783307073935 .
Razack, Sherene. 1994. What Is to Be Gained by Looking White People in the Eye? Culture, Race, and Gender in Cases of Sexual Violence. Signs 19(4): 894-923. Doi: https://doi.org/10.1086/494944 .
Razack, Sherene. 1998. Looking White People in the Eye: Gender, Race, and Culture in Courtrooms and Classrooms. University of Toronto Press, Toronto.
Razack, Sherene. 2007. The ‘Sharia Law Debate’ in Ontario: The Modernity/Premodernity Distinction in Legal Efforts to Protect Women from Culture. Feminist Legal Studies 15(1): 3-32. Doi: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10691-006-9050-x .
Saeed, Abdullah. 2006. Interpreting the Quran: Towards a Contemporary Approach. Routledge, Oxon.
Saeed, Abdullah. 2008. The Qur'an: An Introduction. Routledge, London.
Turner, Bryan S. 2010. Islam, Public Religions and the Secularization Debate. In Muslim Societies and the Challenge of Secularization: An Interdisciplinary Approach, edited by G. Marranci, 11-30. Springer, Dordrecht. Doi: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-90-481-3362-8_2 .
Turner, Bryan S. 2011. Religion and Modern Society: Citizenship, Secularisation and the State. Cambridge University Press, Cambridge.
Published
2017-11-22
Issue
Section
Articles
License
Equinox Publishing Ltd.
How to Cite
Possamai, A., Dagistanli, S., & Voyce, M. (2017). Shari’a in Everyday Life in Sydney: An Analysis of Professionals and Leaders Dealing with Islamic Law. Journal for the Academic Study of Religion, 30(2), 109-128. https://doi.org/10.1558/jasr.33846
