Mohannad Malas Lecture in Islamic Law by Mark Fathi Massoud

February 21, 2017, 5:30 to 6:30 p.m.
UC Irvine School of Law, Room 1111 (map)

The Lived Experience of Islamic Law

Islamic law is often portrayed as an unchanging or inflexible divine law interpreted by jurists. In the 2017 Mohannad Malas Lecture, Mark Fathi Massoud (UC Santa Cruz) reveals instead the diverse lived experiences of Islamic law in context. The lecture draws from Professor Massoud’s research in Sudan and Somalia, and with Muslim Americans here in California.

Mark Fathi Massoud is Associate Professor in the Politics Department and Legal Studies Program at UC Santa Cruz. Massoud’s research exposes how law matters to state authorities and, separately, how people experience and shape Islamic law and human rights in different parts of the world. His book, Law’s Fragile State: Colonial, Authoritarian, and Humanitarian Legacies in Sudan (Cambridge University Press), traces how colonial administrators, post-colonial governments, and the international aid community each used law to build stability amid political violence and civil war in Sudan. Massoud is also principal investigator (with Kathleen M. Moore) of Shari’a Revoiced: Documenting American Muslims’ Experiences of Islamic Law.

Massoud is a former fellow of Princeton University’s Program in Law and Public Affairs. He was awarded a Guggenheim Fellowship in 2015 and a Carnegie Fellowship in 2016.

About the Mohannad Malas Endowed Chair in Islamic Law

Mohannad Malas is the generous donor of the Mohannad Malas Endowed Chair in Islamic Law.  A committed philanthropist and successful businessman, Mr. Malas has made a commitment to the study and research of Islamic law at the UC Irvine School of Law, and we are grateful for his generosity and dedication to scholarly research. An annual lecture on Islamic Law and/or Islamic Legal Studies, delivered by a top national expert in the area, is part of this endowment. Past Lecturers >

To request reasonable accommodations for a disability, please contact Crissandra Flores at events@law.uci.edu or (949) 824-0941