Minority Law in Arab States – Governing Religious Diversity

14 - 15 July 2025

Arab states have adopted diverse approaches and employed varied strategies to institutionalize family laws and govern religious diversity often granting religious communities a great degree of legal autonomy. These approaches are shaped by historical, social, and political contexts, reflecting the complex interplay between law, religion, and governance. Compared to Muslim communities, the laws governing religious minorities in Arab states have received little scholarly attention, despite their prevalence, impact, and reform efforts, which they are subject to. Minorities are also disproportionately affected by conflict which exacerbates family law-related issues such as inheritance and property rights. The conference foregrounds the complex interplay between legal autonomy and the governance of religious diversity. It brings together scholars from law, anthropology, political science, history and Middle Eastern studies as well as legal practitioners. The conference examines the complex interplay between legal pluralism, minority-state relations, gender and inter-religious relations. It analyzes the impact of colonial policies, regional conflicts, and reform movements on the development of minority law.