Where is the Local Online? Internet Fatwa and the Making of New Muslim Spaces

Abstract:     
This paper is an exploration of a new domain of Islamic law: internet fatwa sites, to which millions of Muslims now write seeking juridical opinion son all facets of their lives. Each site is hosted in one place but is capable of being accessed by Muslims worldwide; each allows almost complete anonymity but offers a large audience; each refers to geographically-bound schools of Islamic law but extends far beyond their reach. How is authority made, maintained and challenged here? Do these sites represent a new space of law for Muslims? What are the local politics of these transglobal spaces?

working papers series