Dr Oumama Hamasha hosted Dr. Mohammad Ali Belaoo for a powerful lecture titled: “Muslims in the West: Jurisprudential Foundations and Practical Constraints"
Dr. Belaoo explored how Muslims navigate challenges in Western societies—from preserving identity to applying Shari'ah principles in complex realities—backed by real-world examples from Brazil, Albania, and beyond.
The session, part of the “Islam and the West" postgraduate course under the supervision of Dr. Oumama Hamasha , sparked insightful discussion on fatwa, Maqāṣid al-Sharī'ah, and legal adaptation in non-Muslim contexts.
The session concluded with an engaging Q&A segment, where students raised thought-provoking questions about the development of a jurisprudence that remains faithful to Islamic principles while being responsive to the lived realities of Muslims in the West.
The lecture was widely praised for its academic rigor and relevance, significantly enriching the course content and deepening students' understanding of contemporary Islamic legal thought.
It is worth to mention that Dr. Ali Belaoo is a university professor at the Higher Education Academy in the United Kingdom and a member of the Fatwa Council in Britain. He also serves as a Shari'ah advisor to several banks and companies in both Turkey and the UK, and is the Chairman of the Shari'ah Board at the European Agency for Halal Products.