Law Commons^™

Asylum Claims Based On Persecution On Account Of Religion: Women Persecuted Under Shari'ah Law, Nicole Moss

Student Thesis Honors (1996-2008)

Asylum has been denied to Muslim women fleeing persecution under shari\'ah law in some countries because they failed to link the persecution to one of the enumerated grounds: race, religion, nationality, membership in a particular social group, or political opinion. These women often face extreme persecution including strict proscriptions on dress, behavior, work and educational opportunities and ability to marry and divorce. Trying to fit into the rigid refugee definition, many female asylum seekers have sought to fit their claim within the "membership in a social group" or "political opinion" category. This has been met with limited success. Muslim women …