The Logic of Islamic Law and Its Transformation in Modernity

The popular images of Islamic law today are either about the terror of infidel beheadings or about exoticism of polygamy. These images immediately depict this Islamic legal tradition as a constellation of barbaric customs that are incommensurable with modern notions of justice, equality, law and human rights. But what is Islamic law truly about? How was it reconfigured over the course of modern history? And why is it so controversial today? This talk will steer the conservation towards understanding Islamic law in its own terms.