Apr 29, 2008 ... David Powers. Adjunct Professor of Law. Professor of Arabic and Islamic Studies.
Cornell University. The Case of Haskuri, the Mocking Jurist.
Washington University Law Center for Interdisciplinary Studies
David Powers Adjunct Professor of Law Professor of Arabic and Islamic Studies Cornell University
The Case of Haskuri, the Mocking Jurist The seminar will examine a lawsuit that took place at the beginning of the 8th/14th century in Fez, Morocco. The defendant, a man named Haskuri, was accused of engaging in illicit sexual relations with his former wife after having divorced her. Haskuri was a distinguished jurist. In response to the charge of fornication, al-Haskuri used--some would say, abused--his knowledge of the law in an effort to extricate himself from his predicament. The qadi or judge who heard the case solicited legal opinions from two muftis or expert jurists. Each mufti issued a detailed opinion in which he provided a reasoned justification for a specific punishment. The two recommendations were widely divergent, forcing the qadi to choose between the death penalty or a lesser punishment. In the seminar, we will attempt to assess these two opinions and to determine which one should have been implemented. The Department of History and the Program in Jewish, Islamic and Near Eastern Studies will also host: Fathers Without Sons: The Making of the Last Prophet Tuesday, 29 April 2008, 4 p.m. ~ Hurst Lounge, Duncker Hall You are welcome to join them.
