In Zanzibar, all family law matters are handled in Islamic courts. Most of these concern marital disputes. Field research on disputes and court cases shows that it is difficult to understand... Show moreIn Zanzibar, all family law matters are handled in Islamic courts. Most of these concern marital disputes. Field research on disputes and court cases shows that it is difficult to understand judicial decision-making without considering the cultural context of the cases; court documents often do not tell the whole story. One area of particular interest is under what circumstances a judge, called a kadhi in Kiswahili, will uphold social norms or cultural practices that he actually considers religiously unlawful. A recent example from a rural court shows how a kadhi uses the principle of fairness and the attribution of fault to allow such a practice. Show less
Near the coast of equatorial Africa, separated from the continent by a canal some 50 kilometres long, is the island of Zanzibar (Unguja). It is the largest of the coral islands of the eastern coast... Show moreNear the coast of equatorial Africa, separated from the continent by a canal some 50 kilometres long, is the island of Zanzibar (Unguja). It is the largest of the coral islands of the eastern coast of Africa and forms part of a coral reef that extends from the near island of Pemba (al-khudra, the green, or emerald island), to the north, as far as the island of Mafia to the south. It constitutes a type of extraneous coastline to the continent. The city of Zanzibar is situated to the west of the island and its port, one of the best of Africa, allows deep anchorage for the docking of the ships. Zanzibar has always been strategically important due to two fundamentally important points: its proximity to the continent and the monsoons. The regular recurrence of these latter allows continuous contacts with India, the Red Sea and the Persian Gulf; while the closeness of Zanzibar to the coast places it in an ideal position for commerce between the interior of the African continent and the Indian Ocean. Show less
