Conference examines Islamic and Jewish religious laws

The University of Illinois at Chicago and IIT Chicago-Kent College of Law present “Shari’a and Halakha in America,” a conference on the challenges presented by Islamic and Jewish legal systems in America today.

WHEN/WHERE:
April 15
IIT Chicago-Kent College of Law
565 W. Adams St.

April 16
UIC Institute for the Humanities
701 S. Morgan St., Stevenson Hall, lower level

DETAILS:
Presentations on shari’a and halakha, the Islamic and Jewish systems of religious law, respectively, will examine examples of contemporary challenges to them, how democracies can accommodate religious legal systems that are not themselves originally grounded on democratic principles, and to what degree these religious systems can adapt to the standards of a liberal democracy.

Participating speakers include professors of law and religion — some of whom have served on Jewish or Muslim courts — as well as journalists and activists.

The conference is presented by the UIC Jewish-Muslim Initiative, the UIC Institute for the Humanities, and IIT Chicago-Kent Law School, with support from the Jack Miller Center.

Admission is free. Registration is recommended. For more information, call (312) 996-6354.