Living Sharia

Living Sharia provides us with diverse and dynamic conceptions of shari'a in the wider context of Southeast Asia and beyond. -- Muhamad Ali, author of Islam and Colonialism: Becoming Modern in Indonesia and Malaya A major theoretical contribution to the anthropology of Islam. Daniels has done a superb job of presenting both conservative and feminist Muslim perspectives on sharia and Islam. -- Robert W. Hefner, Director, Institute on Culture, Religion, and World Affairs, Boston University

Drawing on ethnographic research, Living Sharia examines the role of sharia in the sociopolitical processes of contemporary Malaysia. The book traces the contested implementation of Islamic family and criminal laws and sharia economics to provide cultural frameworks for understanding sharia among Muslims and non-Muslims. Timothy Daniels explores how the way people think about sharia is often entangled with notions about race, gender equality, nationhood, liberal pluralism, citizenship, and universal human rights. He reveals that Malaysians’ ideas about sharia are not isolated from—nor always opposed to—liberal pluralism and secularism.

Living Sharia will be of interest to scholars as well as to policy makers, consultants, and professionals working with global NGOs.