ILSS: Ihsan Yilmaz
Posted on April 20, 2026On Tuesday, March 10, 2026, from 12:30–1:30 PM US EST via Zoom, Professor Ihsan Yilmaz (Alfred Deakin Institute for Citizenship and Globalization, Deakin University) discussed his monograph Sharia as Informal Law: Lived Experiences of Young Muslims in Western Societies (Routledge, 2024). The book took a comprehensive approach to investigating how sharīʿa manifested in and influenced the everyday lives of young Muslims, aiming to unravel the meaning and relevance of sharīʿa-driven laws and practices in English-speaking Western societies. The study recognized the diverse nature of the Muslim community, comprising both migrants and local converts who formed integral parts of multicultural societies. Drawing on in-depth interviews with 122 young Muslims from Australia, the United States, and the United Kingdom, the research explored a diversity of opinions, interpretations, and practices. Moving beyond theoretical debates, it offered concrete insights into the practical implications of sharīʿa in Western contexts. The book also shed light on how digital technologies shaped information and knowledge acquisition, examining how young Muslims sought religious knowledge in the twenty-first century. It was of interest to academics, researchers, and policy-makers in Law, Political Science, Minority Studies, Religious Studies, and Islamic Studies. Watch the video today!

