The Governance Programme at the Aga Khan University Institute for the Study of Muslim Civilisations is hosting Sharia in Europe? — In Anticipation of the ECtHR Ruling on the Molla Sali v Greece Case on Monday 8 October 2018, 12:30-14:30.

Abstracts
Sharia Law in Europe: A Greek Case Before the ECtHR that May Bring Changes
Konstantinos Tsitselikis, University of Macedonia

Sharia courts in Greece adjudicate cases of family and inheritance law disputes among Muslims of Thrace. This unique case of a semi-state Sharia courts in Europe is often seen as related to discrepancies of procedural character and non-compliance with fundamental human rights principles. One case has reached the European Court of Human Rights (Molla Sali v Greece, Grand Chamber) and the judgment is expected to be announced in December 2018. The case will put to fore a series of issues in relation to the position of Sharia within the European legal order and eventually the limits of legal pluralism in a democratic society.

Greek Mufti System in a Global Perspective: Reform (?) in the Triangle of Thrace, Athens and Strasbourg
Yüksel Sezgin, Syracuse University

Since the case of Molla Sali v. Greece  has made headlines across Western Europe, it has become very clear that there is a widespread ignorance about the Muslim law in Greece. Many commentators have treated the Greek case as an anachronistic exception while forgetting about the fact that Greece is only one of the fifty-three nations in the world where Muslim family laws are currently integrated into national legal systems. Among these fifty-three countries, aside from Greece, there are seventeen other non-Muslim majority nations. In this respect, this presention will place the Greek mufti system in a global perspective along with Muslim family law systems from Israel, India and others while discussing how the current mufti system in Greece compares to the rest of world, and what kind of changes we may accept in the light of recent legislative changes as well as the forthcoming ECtHR ruling.

Speakers
Konstantinos Tsitselikis, University of Macedonia (applicant on the case)
Yüksel Sezgin, Syracuse University

Remarks from
Marie-Bénédicte Dembour, University of Brighton (on the ECtHR)
Samia Bano, SOAS (on British Muslims)

Chair
Gianluca Parolin, AKU-ISMC

Time and Venue
Monday 8 October 2018, 12:30-14:30
Atrium Conference Room
Aga Khan Centre
10 Handyside Street
London N1C 4DN

Booking
This event is free but booking is essential:
To attend in person, please click here.
To attend online, please click here.