By Brittney Hodnik
Impunity Watch Reporter, North America

WASHINGTON, United States – Sharia Index is a recently launched blog that brings Islamic law to the forefront.  The website addresses the role of sharia law in U.S. courts, which is becoming more and more prevalent.  You can visit the blog at: www.shariaindex.com. 

The goal of the blog is to report on U.S. cases that address Islamic law and comment on other, specific areas of Islamic law.  Also on the website, there are multiple educational resources including articles about sharia law in the news, interviews, and lectures.

Sharia Index describes in its mission the goal of the blog: “To provide an objective resource and destination for lawyers, professionals and anyone who is interested in learning about sharia in America.”  It further explains that sharia law is becoming more and more important in the American court system.  Just as foreign courts refer to the United States Constitution and public policy to resolve American issues, the United States must reference relevant sharia law to govern certain disputes.

“In our global village, marriages, finance and commercial transactions are crossing borders.  U.S. courts, therefore, must regularly interpret and apply foreign law – including Islamic law . . .,” says the website.

The website lists U.S. cases by name, by subject, or by state.  Each link provides a compressed version of the facts, issue, and the ruling, created by lawyers or law students.  The website provides no editorializing; the cases are summarized with objective facts.

Overall, the blog aims to clear up any confusion about sharia law and its role in the United States and the world.  Some of the links are under construction, as the website is relatively new.  It is a very useful blog for learning the basics of sharia law and its application in the United States.  Again, the website is www.shariaindex.com.