Shari’a Councils in the UK: human rights and/or Shari’a law? This blog addresses the issue of the interaction between the state and private international law in the UK with reference to Muslim religious tribunals. How may the state respond to parallel legal orders and/or what pragmatic solutions exist? Machteld Zee and Naheed Ghauri • January 19, 2015 • 1 comment
The legal status and future of Sharia councils Religious family law perpetuates gender discrimination. Luckily, the Netherlands has recently adopted effective legal alternatives making religious tribunals redundant. Machteld Zee • December 19, 2013 • 2 comments
What happens at Sharia councils? Part Three: The Muslim Arbitration Tribunal A few weeks ago I visited several Sharia councils in England. Here is part 3 of what goes on there. Machteld Zee • August 17, 2013 • 7 comments
What happens at Sharia councils? Part Two: The most liberal one A few weeks ago I visited several Sharia councils in England. Here is part 2 of what goes on there. Machteld Zee • August 07, 2013
What happens at Sharia councils? Part One: The most fundamentalist one A few weeks ago I visited several Sharia councils in England. Here’s part 1 of what goes on there. Machteld Zee • July 26, 2013 • 3 comments
Monkey see, monkey do Just as Michael Jackson and his pet monkey Bubbles, Justin Bieber and his little monkey friend, Mally, are inseparable. Last week, unfortunately, Mally was seized by German customs and put into quarantine. Machteld Zee • April 04, 2013
Feminazis? While we must acknowledge the catastrophic events of genocide, we cannot afford to be blinded by these ravages of humanity, either. Machteld Zee • October 11, 2012 • 4 comments
Redressing the Discourse on the Burqa Ban Proudly stating that the Netherlands is a tolerant country where ‘everyone is free to wear what they want’ neglects women who are oppressed, even if there are only a few. Machteld Zee • August 09, 2012 • 2 comments
Femmes for Freedom: fighting against marital captivity Last Monday, Sheik Al-Haddad from the London Sharia Council advocated the establishment of a Sharia council in the Netherlands, in order to help Dutch women in Islamic divorce procedures. To follow this advice would be a grave mistake. Machteld Zee • June 14, 2012 • 3 comments