CALL FOR PAPERS 

The Second Law of Waqf Conference, on “Modern State Control and Nationalization,” will be held May 16-18, 2008 at Harvard Law School in Cambridge, Mass. The organizers are soliciting presentations that explore colonial law vis-à-vis the waqf both as an institution and as physical property in the Muslim world before the independence of the colonized countries. In the interests of discovering the law that adapted and was adapted in relation to the waqf, papers focusing on the political, social, or economic agenda of the colonial powers are not solicited; rather, innovative legal mechanisms or discussions that were presented to deal with the waqf status quo found or established by the colonizing countries upon intervention in the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries are requested. For more information about submitting abstracts, due September 30, 2007, access

phttp://www.law.harvard.edu/programs/ilsp/events/CFPWaqf2.php 

All abstracts and papers will be presented in English to

pbearman@law.harvard.edu

The Law of Waqf II
a conference in three parts

• I. Origins to Ottoman-Era Maturity (convened 2006)
• II. Modern State Control and Nationalization
• III. Contemporary Regeneration

May 16-18, 2008
Harvard Law School, Cambridge, Mass.

The institution of waqf, the Islamic charitable foundation, has been the topic of intensified research since 1970. Increasingly, its historical, economic, and social implications have been highlighted and explored. Legal aspects of waqf-the rules, procedures, and institutions that govern its establishment and operation-have been relatively neglected, however.

In response to this situation the Islamic Legal Studies Program of Harvard Law School and Randi Deguilhem of the Institut de Recherches et d'Etudes sur le Monde Arabe et Musulman (IREMAM) in Aix-en-Provence are organizing a conference on "The Law of Waqf." The conference is divided into three stages, organized chronologically, which capture three distinct eras of waqf up to modern times. The first stage "Origins to Ottoman-Era Maturity" was held in May 2006. The next stage "Modern State Control and Nationalization" is now being planned for May 2008.

For the second stage, the organizers are soliciting presentations that explore colonial law vis-à-vis the waqf both as an institution and as physical property in the Muslim world before the independence of the colonized countries. In theory and in practice, colonial law wrestled with the reality of waqf as the colonial powers sought to introduce reforms for other than legal reasons. In the interests of discovering the law that adapted and was adapted in relation to the waqf, papers focusing on the political, social, or economic agenda of the colonial powers are not solicited; rather, innovative legal mechanisms or discussions that were presented to deal with the waqf status quo found or established by the colonizing countries upon intervention in the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries are requested.

The conference language will be English. Previously presented or published work will not be accepted. Abstracts of up to 500 words, clearly stating the legal dimension of the topic, should be e-mailed, either in the body of the e-mail or as an attachment in Word or as PDF, to Peri Bearman at pbearman@law.harvard.edu, with as subject heading "The Law of Waqf II". If sending a Word attachment, please avoid using diacriticals in transliteration. The abstract should include the complete name, occupation, and work or university affiliation of the author, as well as a short bio. The deadline for the submission of abstracts is September 30, 2007; notification of acceptance will be sent out by October 31, 2007.