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God and Government: Egypt Edition, Shariah Law, And More
December 19, 2013
Summary: Whose brand of Islam will prevail in Egypt's new government? And a new look at shariah law, the ancient Islamic moral code.
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Whose Brand of Islam Will Prevail in the New Egypt? December 19, 2013
There may be no country in the world right now with a more volatile relationship between religion and government than Egypt. Most Egyptians are Sunni Muslim. And most say the government should play a role in religious life - just how much is an open question. The now-deposed Islamist President, Mohamed Morsi, offered one answer, but critics say he went too far in blurring the lines between religion and state. 

Now the new military-backed government is promoting its own brand of religious thought, mainly through a Sunni Muslim institution called Al-Azhar University (pictured.)

Kimberly Adams, reporter with Jocelyn Frank, producer
Khaled Fahmy, chair of the Department of History at The American University in Cairo
Jessica Winegar, professor of anthropology at Northwestern University



Photos from Cairo by Kimberly Adams, from her story on Al-Azhar. Click on the double arrows on the bottom right to view full captions.

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Another Look at Shariah Law December 19, 2013
Even in Muslim countries, applying shariah law is one the most controversial ways to merge religion and state. Shariah is an ancient Islamic legal code, roughly translated as “the path” or “the way.” In the West, we often associate shariah law with harsh punishments, like stonings or amputations. But millions of Muslims worldwide say they want it to govern their lives. So are we missing something? This interview first aired in 2008.
 
Noah Feldman, author of The Fall and Rise of the Islamic State