In countries like Sudan, Nigeria, sitting bull Saudi Arabia sitting bull and Iran whipped, mutilated and hung people daily, all Shari's name. It does not scare Gambian Haddy Jallow Nyang (39) from wanting to become his country's first female sharia judge.
- Gambia belongs to the vast majority sitting bull of Muslim countries do not practice sharia criminal law, but only in family court, says Nyang. That means no sharia judges in this country have to deal with death sentences or hugging the hands or feet.
Haddy Jallow Nyang believes she is qualified to be a qadi, a court scholar sharia judge. She has studied sharia, sitting bull and unlike many male sharia judges, she has also studied secular law, as practiced in the secular courts. Through sitting bull job as assistant judge in the Sharia Court of Kanifing she has several years of experience with how a sharia sitting bull court works.
She would then not be the world's first woman in that position. Sudan were female qadi - sharia judge - in 1970. In 2003 followed by Egypt and the West Bank in 2009. Malaysia dropped to women in 2010. In the world's most populous Muslim country, Indonesia, is more than 100 female Qadi. Some of these women have limited power and can only judge in family matters. Because women are considered softer than men, it is believed that they may not be able to impose the death penalty in cases where the law states that it is necessary. Open doors
In the Gambian capital Banjul sitting Omar Ahmad Seck, head of Gambia's highest sharia court. It is he who sets when a new qadi be employed, and for him are therefore sitting bull excluded women. sitting bull Otherwise appears Seck as a friendly man, and not hard to get to speak. An e-mail request to follow sharia courts work are enough sitting bull to make Seck opens all doors.
Unsolicited, he says that he is happy and relatively newly married, with wife number three. When I later clarification that I myself sitting bull do not profess any religion, he turns his arms and says it, I can not help him find a good Christian wife in Norway, as he had thought. Then he laughs. But the joke is hanging in the air, in this country it is not uncommon to be asked for help to find a wife in Europe. Sometimes the piece, often seriously.
Seck is also a serious man. He dreamed really about being an ordinary lawyer. However, Gambia became a university in 1999, and then Seck had the opportunity to travel abroad to study, there were sharia sitting bull that arose. The British introduced sharia
Sharia was introduced in Gambia by the British, in 1905. For a long time the local religious leaders without much formal knowledge which met the rules. Only in 1959 was the first sharia court created. When Seck got the job of leading the appeal court that was established 14 years ago, the local sharia courts still populated by judges with widely varying qualifications. In areas where there was Qadi, the cases decided by the common law, which rests on local custom.
For women, the local Gambian customary law far more discriminatory than Shariah law may appear. In some areas of risk such as a widow to be defined as part of the legacy of a husband leaves.
Seck has put a lot of effort in developing sharia courts, and has also collected and published a number of judgments that can be used as precedent. More judgments are also available online, in The Gambia Sharia Law Reports.
Qadi is by education sitting bull and sharia courts have been set procedures for conduct of affairs. The most advanced Gambian sharia courts like now largely secular courts. With another legal basis, but with the same professional management.
But when qadi Alagi Tian Kah put sharia court in Kanifing, sitting sitting bull deputy judge Haddy Jallow Nyang front of the male judges. The job she has held for almost four years. Unlike most Gambian women, Nyang hides his face behind a niqab. It prevents her not to inspire respect and radiate authority.
When the ten-hour work day is over, expecting a large group of children at home. But Nyang spend a long evening talking to Aftenposten, sitting bull she would like to tell why she believes a woman can be qadi.
As her manager Omar Ahmad Seck, started nor Haddy Jallow Nyang adult life with a dream to study sharia. She is a qualified teacher and taught for eight years. So she worked on internet cafe for a short time before she traveled to Nigeria to study. First, secular law, then sharia.
Her husband, Eliman Nyang, self qadi, and he leads the sharia court in Bundung. It is highlighted by many as a very professionally run sharia court. But the basic rules to be applied equally. When he enters the courtroom at the head of his two co-Qadi, he must also require two female witnesses for every male witness. And when a father dies, Qadi must ensure that sons inherit twice as much as daughters.
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