The College of Islamic Studies (CIS) at Hamad Bin Khalifa University (HBKU), is to host a public lecture on ‘Qatari Family Law: Features and Gaps’ led by guest speaker Dr. Ibrahim Alwan, professor of Shari’a at the Qatar Police College. 

Dr. Alwan will shed light on the intrinsic role of the Qatar Family Law as well as its applications, justifications, and inferences. He will use real life examples to illustrate important themes within the law, and provide a comprehensive and balanced analysis of its articles.

Speaking about the upcoming lecture, Dr. Mohamed El Gammal, associate professor of contemporary comparative fiqh at CIS, said: “The Qatar Family Law safeguards families and contributes to an integrated and cohesive social and cultural infrastructure. The lecture will highlight legal aspects that enshrine this body of law and deem it to be comprehensive, relevant, and free of sectarian bias, while drawing attention to identifiable gaps and possible areas of improvement.”

The Qatari Family Law plays an integral role in nurturing and preserving the family unit – a cornerstone for the development and survival of all modern societies -- and ensuring the equitable representation of all of its members. The law, which comprises 301 articles, became legally binding in 2006 and outlines a robust framework for three key areas, including marriage, spousal separation, and inheritance. 

Last month, CIS hosted a lecture on Domestic Workers and their Impact on the Psychological Stability of Children, posing important questions on how outsourced childcare can complement or contradict society’s principles, beliefs, ethics, and legal system.

As home to a wide-encompassing Master of Arts in Islamic Studies degree, CIS hosts local and international experts to enhance learning and outreach, and promote a deeper understanding of local community dynamics as well as various aspects of Islam. In doing so, the college strives to contribute to academic debate while maintaining relevance to the community at-large. It continues to be at the epicenter of historical and current examinations of Shari’a and its everyday applicability. 

HBKU is home to five colleges addressing Islamic studies; humanities and social sciences; science and engineering; law; and health and life sciences. The university offers 26 multidisciplinary graduate degrees, which are many times classified as pioneering in the MENA region.

The Qatari Family Law lecture will be held in Conference Room 1 at Minaretein (formerly known as the College of Islamic Studies building) in Education City on Wednesday, April 24 from 7:00 pm – 9:00 pm.  

For more information on CIS, please visit cis.hbku.edu.qa.