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Is Islamic Law Compatible with Human Rights? 

A conversation with:
Ms. Hauwa Ibrahim
Sharia and Human Rights Scholar 
Harvard Divinity School 

Dr. Moataz El Fegiery
Protection Coordinator for the Middle East and North Africa
Front Line Defenders

Introduced by:

Ambassador Frederic C. Hof
Director, Rafik Hariri Center for the Middle East
Atlantic Council 

Moderated by:

Ms. Geneive Abdo
Author of The New Sectarianism: The Arab Uprisings and the Shi’a-Sunni Divide
Atlantic Council

The international media frequently features stories of Arab states and non-state actors committing human rights violations allegedly in the name of Islam. The application and understanding of Islamic jurisprudence is varied and controversial, whether such readings of the faith result in institutionalized state laws or actions committed by non-state actors, such as the Islamic State of Iraq and al-Sham (ISIS) or al-Qaeda. 

The Atlantic Council’s Islamic Law and Human Rights initiative, a project of the Rafik Hariri Center for the Middle East, explores human rights violations by Arab states and non-state actors committed in the name of Islam. This event will present the initiative and feature a discussion on where gender relations and freedom of speech stand in the context of sharia in the region.