states. 8 Yet it seems that there is a certain "privileged" connection between Islam and the repression of homosexuality. All five states that currently punish same-sex relations by the death penalty are Sharia-compliant: Iran, Yemen, Saudi Arabia, Mauritania, and Sudan. 9 The death penalty is also applied in the northern region of Nigeria, which has predominantly Muslim populations, and the southern parts of Somalia. 10 The most brutal punishments, including lashes and public stoning, as well as arbitrary executions, also occur in Muslim-majority states (namely,

This article assesses the compatibility of the Sharia and Islamic family laws with international human rights law. As a subject of enormous complexity and variation, detailed examination is restricted to two of the highly contentious subjects of Islamic family laws -polygamy and the Talaq (unilateral divorce given by the husband) within Islam. It is argued that while the Quran and Sunna remain the principal foundations of the Sharia, the formulation of a legally binding code from primarily ethical and religious sources has not been an uncontested matter. It is also submitted that the Sharia and Islamic family laws that eventually emerged during the second and third centuries of the Muslim calendar were heavily infl uenced by the socio-economic, political and indigenous tribal values of the prevailing times. During the development phases of the classical legal schools, the Islamic jurists frequently adopted male-centric approaches towards women's rights and family laws. As regards polygamy and the Talaq it is only recently (and with considerable reservations) that Islamic societies have allowed a debate and enquiry into the reform of established norms of the Sharia. Attempts to rectify the injustices built into the prevailing system of polygamous marriages and unilateral Talaq procedures have resulted in some, albeit limited, success through the process of directly appealing to the primary sources of the Sharia. The article concludes with the view that the Sharia and Islamic family laws are likely to remain relevant to Islamic societies as well as to English Law -a consistent review and re-interpretation of the Sharia is therefore of utmost signifi cance.

British Muslims have substantial claims of social ostracism, discrimination, and denials of a right to identity. There is increasing anger and frustration at the United Kingdom's pursuit of the global "war on terror." The draconian legislation and administrative policies of the recent Labour Governments overtly target Muslim minorities. This article critically analyzes the issues confronted by British Muslim communities in the context of a socially and politically strained environment since the 7 July 2005 London bombings. The article laments the increasing negativity about "multiculturalism," and argues that Muslim identities deserve an affirmed and celebrated position within the matrix of contemporary British society.

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In the post 11 September 2001 legal and political environment, Islam appears to have become one of the most misunderstood religions. Islam has been equated with fanaticism, intolerance, violence and wars of aggression-the classical Jihad ideology is often deployed to cast doubts on the compatibility of Islam with modern norms of international law as enunciated in the United Nations Charter. Much confusion stems from the fact that Islamic international law and Islamic laws of armed conflict have not received due attention in western legal scholarship. The concept of Jihad has arguably been central to many modern conflicts including that of resistance to US occupa