Islamic State Practices, International Law and the Threat from Terrorism

In the post 9/11 legal and political environment, Islam and Muslims have been associated with terrorism. Islamic civilization has increasingly been characterized as backward, insular, stagnant and unable to deal with the demands of the twenty first century and differences and schisms between Islam and the west are being perceived as monumental and insurmountable. 9/11 terrorist attacks have unfortunately provided vital ammunition to the critics of Islam and those who champion a clash of civilizations.In this original and incisive study, the author investigates the relationship between Islamic law, States practices and International terrorism. It presents a detailed analysis of the sources of Islamic law and reviews the concepts of Jihad, religious freedom and minority rights within Sharia and Siyar. In eradicating existing misconceptions, the book provides a thorough commentary of the contributions made by Islamic States in the development of international law, including norms on the prohibition of terrorism. It presents a lucid debate on such key issues within classical and modern Islamic State practices as diplomatic immunities, prohibitions on hostage-taking, aerial and maritime terrorism, and the financing of terrorism.The book surveys the unfairness and injustices within international law - a legal system dominated and operated at the behest of a select band of powerful States. It forewarns that unilateralism and the undermining of human rights values in the name of the war on terrorism is producing powerful reactions within Muslim States: the new world order presents a dangerous prognosis of the self-fulfilling prophecy of an inevitable clash of civilizations between the Islamic world and the west.

ISBN 1841135011   Pages 278 ISBN13 9781841135014 (What's this?)   Volumes 1 Publisher Hart Publishing   Weight (grammes) 552 Imprint Hart Publishing   Published in Oxford Format Hardback   Series title Studies in International Law Publication date 31 May 2005   Height (mm) 234 Library of Congress 2005301399   Width (mm) 156 DEWEY 341.091767   Spine width (mm) 17 DEWEY edition DC22   Academic level Professional / Scholarly

		Introductory reflections and the scope of the study		1
1		The sources of Sharia and the ethos of an 'Islamic' identity		10
2		The Sharia and Siyar in the development of the law of nations		44
3		Conceptualising terrorism in the international legal order		71
4		Hostage-taking in international law and terrorism against 'internationally protected persons'		97
5		Aerial and maritime terrorism		130
6		Financing of international terrorism		163
7		The OIC and approaches to international terrorism		191
8		Concluding observations		221

...the author gives a deep but easy to read introduction to Islamic law, which is also useful and understandable for those who have no knowledge about it...The book gives a broad view of terrorism, balancing a political perspective on the processes which led to the adoption of the main conventions with a juridical approach that analyses the relevant provisions and the consequences for their application. The author also introduces general concepts of international law, which are extremely useful to understand the phenomenon.Sara de VidoCriminal Law ForumVol 18, No 2, 2007This type of scholarship is very much needed and would be welcomed in the present climate as a means of providing a rounded rather than a one-sided approach to the relationship between Islamic and international norms.Mashood Baderin, University of the West of EnglandAfrican Journal of International and Comparative LawDecember 2005There is much in the book to be admired. It is accessible to the non-specialist in public international law, terrorism, and IslamIt is well researchedand was an enjoyable and interesting read, not to say a most timely one.Urfan KhaliqJournal of Law and Society, Vol 33, No 2June 2006offers a much-needed challenge to commonly held views regarding Islam's relationship with terrorism.Sameer AhmedYale Journal of International LawIssue 32 (2007)

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