{"product_id":"off-the-straight-path-illicit-sex-law-and-community-in-ottoman-aleppo-9780815634638","title":"Off the Straight Path: Illicit Sex, Law, and Community in Ottoman Aleppo","description":"\u003cp\u003eThe legal treatment of sexual behavior is a subject that receives little scholarly attention in the field of Middle East women's studies. Important questions about the relationship between sexuality and the law and about the societies enforcing that relationship are rarely addressed in the current literature. Elyse Semerdjian's \u003ci\u003eOff the Straight Path\u003c\/i\u003e takes a bold step toward filling that gap by offering a fascinating look at the historical progression of the treatment of illicit sex under Islamic law. \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003eSemerdjian provides a comprehensive review of the concept of \u003ci\u003ezina, \u003c\/i\u003e i.e., sexual indiscretion, by exploring the diverse interpretation of \u003ci\u003ezina\u003c\/i\u003e crime as presented in a variety of sources from the Qur'an and hadith to legal literature. She then delves into the history of legal responses to zina within the specific community of Aleppo, Syria. Drawing on a wealth of shari'a court records, Semerdjian provides a realistic view of Syrian society during the Ottoman period. With vivid detail, she describes specific women's lives and experiences as their cases are presented before the court. Semerdjian argues that the actual treatment of zina crimes in the courts differs substantially from sentences prescribed by codified Islamic jurisprudence. In contrast to the violent corporal punishments dictated in the Islamic legal code, the courts often punished crimes of sexual indiscretion with nonviolent sentences, such as removal from the community. Employing exceptional insight, \u003ci\u003eOff the Straight Path\u003c\/i\u003e presents a powerful challenge to the traditional view of Islamic law, enabling a richer understanding of Islamic society.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eAuthor:\u003c\/b\u003e Elyse Semerdjian\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003ePublisher:\u003c\/b\u003e Syracuse University Press\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003ePublished:\u003c\/b\u003e 02\/18\/2016\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003ePages:\u003c\/b\u003e 288\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eBinding Type:\u003c\/b\u003e Paperback\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eWeight:\u003c\/b\u003e 0.90lbs\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eSize:\u003c\/b\u003e 8.99h x 5.89w x 0.73d\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eISBN:\u003c\/b\u003e 9780815634638\u003cbr\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eAbout the Author\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eElyse Semerdjian\u003c\/b\u003e is assistant professor of history at Whitman College. A Fulbright Scholar, her articles have appeared in Hawwa. She is a contributor to \u003ci\u003eBeyond the Exotic: Women's Histories in Islamic Societies, \u003c\/i\u003e also published by Syracuse University Press.\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Syracuse University Press","offers":[{"title":"Paperback","offer_id":40801560199283,"sku":"9.78082E+12","price":37.95,"currency_code":"EUR","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0555\/9255\/0515\/products\/img_c9b62d0a-cd40-4737-81ac-6658672e4647.jpg?v=1682426282","url":"https:\/\/bookstorenmore.com\/en-de\/products\/off-the-straight-path-illicit-sex-law-and-community-in-ottoman-aleppo-9780815634638","provider":"Bookstore N More","version":"1.0","type":"link"}