Agency and Authority Muhammed Haron (University of Botswana) May 2015

Religious Freedom, Religious Pluralism Muhammed Haron (University of Botswana) May 2015

Religious Pluralism Interfaith Religion Dialogue & Cooperation Religious Freedom 4

AgencyAuthority Muhammed Haron (University of Botswana) May 2015

AGENCY  self-determination, volition, or free will;  it is the power of individuals/communities/ organizations to act independently of the determining constraints of social structure. SYMBOL Muhammed Haron (University of Botswana) May 2015

 Brannon Wheeler, Applying the Canon in Islam: The Authorization and Maintenance of Interpretive Reasoning in Hanafi Scholarship (Albany: SUNY, 1996): Religious authority “derives not from closing the canon, or even from ‘fixing’ its contents, but from certain ways of interpreting them.” Muhammed Haron (University of Botswana) May 2015

 Is there a role for them - as religious minorities – to act as agents of social change in which they partner with others to achieve social justice?  To what extent do they engage with state authorities or civil society groups to work towards ‘common good’ goals for all?  And more specifically what position do Muslim authorities hold to influence socio-legal outcomes in Southern Africa’s secular states and to what degree do they make use of their primary sacred text (i.e. The Quran and Hadith) to harmonize their faith and practices with state policies? Muhammed Haron (University of Botswana) May 2015

 Whilst the presentation outlines the Muslim minorities’ role as agents of social change, it also brings to the fore the special position that Muslim authorities (i.e. theologians: imams, shaykhs, mawlanas, ayatollahs) hold in relation to state authority; Muhammed Haron (University of Botswana) May 2015

 Muslim authorities draw upon their sacred text(s) to deal with Social, Political, Economic, and Legal issues  Religious Authorities Qur’anSunnahOther Muhammed Haron (University of Botswana) May 2015

SOURCES The Doctrines according to Ash-Shafi Qur’an: God’s Revealed Word Sunnah: Prophetic Practices & Sayings Qiyas: analogy Ijma’: consensus of scholars THE FATWA Muhammed Haron (University of Botswana) May 2015

ISSUES Fatwa Muslims Personal Law Islamic Finance: Shariah Compliant Products Halal Industry Other Sectors: Fashion, Music, etc DIRECTION Muhammed Haron (University of Botswana) May 2015

PRESENTATION’S FOCUS  Demonstrate to what extent Muslim minorities are ‘agents of social change’  And nature of ‘Muslims and State’ relations via the role and actions of Religious Authorities R-S: USA AND GERMANY Muhammed Haron (University of Botswana) May 2015

Secular State Muslim Society Religious Authority Muslim Judicial Council South African Government Cape Muslim Community Muhammed Haron (University of Botswana) May 2015

CONFERENCESBOOKS Muhammed Haron (University of Botswana) May 2015