RELEVANCE OF ISLAMIC LAND LAW
FOR POLICY AND PROJECT DESIGN
M. SIRAJ SAIT
University of East London, UK
Conference on Land Policy and Administration
The World Bank, Washington DC
14-15 February 2008
CAVEATS
• Islamic law - not for promotion, only reality check
• No romantic view– select beneficial principles
• Not a substitute for generic tools, same standards
• No automatic application - where appropriate
• Not seen in isolation – alongside custom, formal law
• Can/must harmonise with international standards
STRUCTURE OF PRESENTATION
INTRO: Potential and Risks of engaging Islamic principles
EXPERIENCE: Islam in the fields of Environment, Finance
PROGRESS: GLTN Islamic Land Tools Initiative
CHALLENGE: How to engage ‘Islamic land law’
CASE STUDY: Muslim Women’s Equal Property Rights
STRATEGIES: Road Map for Islamic land law
RATIONALE
‫؛‬
1.2 billion Muslims (35%/ 400 million poor)
‫؛‬
Pragmatic enhancement of knowledge and capacity
‫؛‬
Islamic law still expanding, so help demystify
‫؛‬
Impacts land admin/management, land tenure etc.
‫؛‬
Enhance legitimacy, ownership, sustainability
‫؛‬
Potential for innovative, authenticated tools
RISKS
‫ ؟‬Islamic law- Outdated, rigid, complex norms?
‫ ؟‬Unravel positive universal standards?
‫ ؟‬Exclude secular, moderate actors?
‫ ؟‬Obstruct international actors?
‫ ؟‬Could undermine women’s rights?
‫ ؟‬Uncertain results, difficult to evaluate?
ISLAM IN OTHER FIELDS
LAND
FINANCE
ENVIRONMENT
ISLAMIC KNOWLEDGE HELPS
• Islamic law & legal Pluralism (Indonesia)
• legislative reform -Mudawwana (Morocco)
• 'judicial activism' through ijtihād (Bangladesh)
• Activism -Women’s rights breakthrough (Iran)
• Islamic dispute resolution- Mogadishu/ Oyo (Nigeria)
• Revival of Waqf across the globe (Kuwait)
FAITH AND ENVIRONMENT
• Faith: two-thirds population, 7% land, 54% schools
• 1980s- WWF invites 5 faiths for environment
• Buddhism, Christianity, Hinduism, Islam, and Judaism
Each Faith has own statement, programme but interfaith too
• 1995 - Alliance of Religions and Conservation (ARC), +6
• 2000-2016 World Bank, UN, BBC involved etc.
ISLAM AND ENVIRONMENT
• Environmental as application of IsL- Mosques, Schools
• Community driven = Village Conservation Agreements (Indonesia)
• Africa Muslim Environment Network (AMEN)- Interfaith + secular
• micro-finance, waqf (endowment) and zakat (charity)
• IFEES + CARE – Zanzibar conservation zone (Tanzania)
• Enthusiastic multi-stakeholders, empowerment
ISLAMIC FINANCE
• Starts- small philanthropic and commercial local and national initiatives
• Resistance – feel good only, not sustainable, too complex
• More than prohibition of interest, towards just & equitable society
• Now USD180 billion dollars today, 15% growth p.a. – global, microfinance
• West now offers Islamic finance – cross fertilising Islamic & conventional
• Shari’a advisors, non-Muslims experts too. WB on regulation & governance
GLTN ISLAMIC TOOLS INITIATIVE
GLTN = pro-poor, gendered, affordable, scaleable tools
Gender, grassroots, governance, post-conflict, age etc.
Cross-cultural, engages customary and faith based
Select Islamic tools thru’ rigorous process & integrate
Islamic tools small component, began 2004 with study
FINDINGS OF ISLAMIC RESEARCH
• Islamic is distinctive, but varied in practice
• Range of empowerment strategies
• Can support security of tenure for landless, urban poor, women and
squatters etc.
•
ijtihad (reasoning), maslaha (public interest) and ‘adl (justice) for
tool approaches, land governance, human rights, empowerment
UN-HABITAT ISLAMIC RESEARCH
ISLAMIC
THEORIES
ISLAMIC LAND
MICROFINANCE
LAW
ISLAMIC
PROPERTY
RIGHTS
WAQF
WOMEN’S
RIGHTS
ISLAMIC
LAND TENURE
INHERITANCE
PROGRESS
• Wide stakeholder consultations support the initiative
• Cairo Initiative on Islamic Land Tools (2005)
• Asks UN-HABITAT and GLTN partners to explore Islamic tools
• Support from Al Azhar, States, civil society
• East London Guiding Principles on Islamic Land Tools (2007)
• Ongoing work – dissemination, training module, Technical Advice
ISLAMIC LAND LAW
Maqasid al Sharia – Property Rights are key
But….. no unified field of ‘Islamic land law’
FAMILY
TAXATION
WAQF
SALE & HIRE
PUBLIC
FINDING ISLAMIC LAW
• Land analysis/country studies – custom & Islamic different
• 57 countries- Islamic socio-historical impacts on contemporary
• Islamic web of tenure - occupation, use, usufruct and full ownership
• Women, urban poor, squatters, slum dwellers, minorities
• Range of state, religious, customary and civil society mediums
• maslaha (public interest) for pro-poor property rights
EMPOWERING MUSLIM WOMEN
• Inheritance – Women get half of male, justifications
• Nothing that Women do not have EQUAL property rights
• Right to acquire, utilise, transfer property, irrespective of status
• Compensatory scheme – gift, waqf, dower (waqf), maintenance etc
• How to use Islamic law for Women’s empowerment
• Example of how Islamic law is different from patriarchal/customary
LESSONS FROM OTHER FIELDS
1.
Knowledge creation –how Islamic land law can empower
2.
Harmonisation between Islamic and universal (secular) goals
3.
Diverse Muslim and non-Muslim stakeholders involved
4.
Developing networks through dialogue, common agendas
5.
Brings together international community, State and civil society
LOOKING AHEAD
Early stages yet on knowledge, capacities or networks
Too big for any one organisation- needs expertise, resources
Moving from generalised to practical application
Identify country and thematic priorities
Islamic tool methodology for rigorous professional process
Inclusive, focused and non-ideological multi-stakeholding- AMEN!