TayoBlog

It is good to see a newspaper (Mail & Guardian) devoting some in-depth articles on religion in (South ) Africa. The focus the past week was clearly on the implications and effects of religion on economics and politics.

But the most interesting developments in South Africa will probably be seen in the field of law. The South African constitution makes significant provisions for relating religions to parliamentary laws. The parliament has passed some laws that directly impact in this field, but the courts have witnessed a lively forum where the issues have been debated.

In the last decade and more, we have seen a fascinating trail of legal judgments on the meaning of religions in society. The judgments makes very interesting reading, and include the meaning of the symbols of religion in a secular society, and the values of religion in competition with the values of the rights-based constitution. The opinions and judgments can be quite easily and freely found on the website of the Constitutionalt Court of South Africa.

My particular interest lies in the relationship between Shariah and South African law. I hope to use this forum to explore some thoughts on this matter. But I do not think that one should forget the broader framework provided by the constitution, and one that emerges in comparative study. In the current global climate, this is easier said than done.