Introduction: Shariʿa in Revolution? A Comparative Overview of Pre- and Post- Revolutionary Developments in Shariʿa-Based Family Law Legislation in Egypt, Indonesia, Iran, and Tunisia

Abstract

In 2011, the world witnessed how massive civil resistance by men and
women alike led to the forced departure of long-serving authoritarian leaders in the Arab
world. In the present transitional period in which constitutions have been suspended and new
definitions of citizenship are being debated, women’s rights and family law have nevertheless
emerged as contentious areas in the Arab World. These have been portrayed as symbols of
the old regime and as deviating from the principles of shariʿa. Calls to amend women’s
rights abound. By comparing both pre- and post-revolutionary family law developments in
four Muslim-majority countries, this special series of articles explores the implications of
these controversies on the rights of men and women in the political transition processes of
Egypt, Indonesia, Iran, and Tunisia.