Islamic Shariah Councils in England: a Challenge for Civil Law?

Prof. John R. Bowen is one of the most prolific, widely read and cited contemporary anthropological scholars of Islam. The Department of Social Anthropology at the University of Oslo, the PluRel-programme, Minotenk and the HL-Centre in Oslo is proud to welcome Prof. Bowen on his first ever visit to Norway and Oslo from September 27 to 30 2011.

Having undertaken extensive research on Muslim everyday lives and the practice of Muslim family law in shari‘a courts in Aceh, Indonesia (Muslims Through Discourse, Princeton University Press, 1993 and Islam, Law and Equality in Indonesia, Cambridge University Press, 2001), Prof. Bowen has in recent years shifted his interest to Muslims in France (Why The French Don’t Like Headscarves, Princeton University Press, 2007 and Can Islam Be French?, Princeton University Press, 2010), and is currently engaged in research on Muslim family law arbitration councils in Great Britain. 

Full scholarly programme: 
Tuesday 27.09.11 at Wergeland, Litteraturhuset, Oslo: The Politics of Presence/Nærværets Politikk: John R. Bowen in conversation with Prof. Oddbjørn Leirvik and Postdoctoral Fellow Sindre Bangstad (TF and SAI, UiO) about secular-Islamic convergences among Muslims in Western Europe. Organizers: SAI, PluRel, Minotenk, the HL-Centre. Free entry – all welcome.
Wednesday 28.09.11 at the Department of Social Anthropology, Room 648, 6th floor, Eilert Sundts Hus, Blindern:How judges justify to multiple publics: Islam and Law Across England, France and Indonesia. Lecture by Prof. Bowen. All welcome.
Thursday 29.09.11 at the University of Oslo, Georg Sverdrups Hus Auditorium 2: Islamic Shariah Councils in England: A Challenge for Civil Law? Keynote lecture by Prof. Bowen, followed by panel debate with invited scholars.