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WRRC Bibliography

“Her Honor: An Islamic Critique of the Rape Laws of Pakistan from a Woman-Sensitive Perspecitve”

This article critiques the rape laws of Pakistan from an Islamic gender-sensitive point of view. The author argues that the Hudood Ordinance and the Zina Ordinance, which criminalise extra-marital sexual relations, do not follow the gender-egalitarian spirit of Islamic laws, but rather are...

“Honor Killing from an Islamic Perspective”

The question in this post is: “What does Islam say about honor killings? Does Islam really have a concept of honor killings? Most of the victims here are females; so does Islam really order to kill females in the name of honor?” The reply, given by Sheikh Ahmad Kutty, Sheikh Muhammad Ali Al-...

“Honor Related Violence Against Women in Pakistan”

The aim of this article is to examine the various routes a victim of honor related violence might take to seek justice, so as to assess where the impediments within the available systems lie and what hurdles face women victims in particular.

“Honour Killing: A Reflection on Gender, Culture, and Violence”

The central question in this article is: how should a democratic constitutional state deal with 'honour killings'? The authors discuss two alternative perspectives for interpreting the phenomenon, a cultural and a structural one. Next, the authors discuss how these perspectives, or dimensions of...

“Impact of privatization on gender and property rights in Africa”
This paper explores the transformation of customary tenure systems and their impact on women's rights to land in Africa. Emphasis is placed on the diversity of land rights within customary tenure systems, the different institutions and structures (e.g., inheritance, marriage) that influence rights...
“In Afghanistan, U.S. shifts strategy on women's rights as it eyes wider priorities”
When the U S Agency for International Development (US AID) sought bids in March 2010 for a $140 million land reform program in Afghanistan, it insisted that the winning contractor meet specific goals to promote women's rights: The number of deeds granting women title had to increase by 50 percent;...
“In Imam’s opinion, a circular was issued to ban stoning. Interview with Ayatollah Musavi Bojnourdi”

Ayatollah Musavi Bojnourdi, a high ranking Muslim jurisprudent and former member of the Supreme Judicial Council of Iran (1980-1987), argues here that stoning is an invalid, non-Quranic tradition. He claims that in 1981, Ayatollah Khomeini had issued an official circular by which he prohibited...

“In Iran, adulterers spared stoning”

Notable in this article is the mention of President Mohhamad Khatami pushing for a change in the execution law banning stoning in 2003. Also, the eleven women members of parliament submitted a bill in early December 2002 to the 290-seat majlis to abolish the practice of death by stoning...

“Inching toward equality: recent developments in Indonesian Inheritance Law”

Indonesia the largest Muslim country in the world, has witnessed what may be interpreted as a continued Islamisation of its Family Law, including the absorption & subsumption of prevalent practices into a logic of codification and reform according to particular interpretations of Muslim laws...

“Indonesia must repeal ‘cruel’ new stoning and caning law”

Amnesty International uses the same human rights framework mentioned above to oppose a bylaw that endorses stoning to death for adultery in Aceh province in Indonesia. Here they say: "Stoning to death is particularly cruel and constitutes torture, which is absolutely forbidden under all...