"Knowledge, Power and Gender in Medieval Islamic Legal Thought"

Discussed by - Prof. Mohammad Fadel, Faculty of Law, University of Toronto

• Click here shortly after 7:00 pm on Wednesday Oct. 17 to watch the discussion live over the web

The Law, Religion, and Society series has offered lectures and discussions over the last two academic years, which have raised questions about how one might dialogue about religion in the public space.

Despite popular stereotypes regarding Islamic law and women, Islamic  law in fact displays considerable ambiguity regarding the potential of   females for citizenship equal to males.  This paper explores some of   these ambiguities in the context of Islamic evidentiary law.  Even as this body of law facially discriminates against women, it also accepts  women as the intellectual equals of men with respect to the production  and reproduction of knowledge generally.  The tensions between general norms of equality and specific discriminatory rules produced juristic discussions that remain significant for discussions of the legal equality of men and women in Islamic law.

• Click here to read the article Prof. Fadel will be referring to.

Wine and cheese will be served.

If you wish to join us for this evening of lively conversation, RSVP to alumnievents.law@utoronto.ca or by phone 416 946 0888.