Unexplored dimensions: Islamic land systems in Afghanistan, Indonesia, Iraq, and Somalia

A common dilemma confronting post-conflict interventions in Muslim societies is whether, or to what extent, to engage with Islamic normative systems and perforce Islamic political dynamics. Will entertaining Islamic arguments add another layer of volatility, frustrate reform, and embolden radicals? Will Muslims intuitively resist universal principles and demand authenticity even at the expense of durable peacebuilding and development? Will canvassing medieval Islamic doctrines, like other customary norms, unravel the hard-won development consensus and jeopardize human rights? Widespread anxieties such as these may reflect the false premises and dichotomies-universal versus Islamic, secular versus faith-oriented, modern versus traditional-that sometimes permeate post-conflict resource management discourses.