ABSTRACT
The Iranian experience with the Sharia Law can provide valuable lessons for the field of comparative criminology. Iran's experience with the Sharia Law-based system of criminal justice can provide valuable lessons for victimology, which is a new field in criminology. Any Islamic society that wants to establish a Sharia Law-based justice system faces a formidable challenge. The position of fundamentalists is that women's social and legal status ought to be determined by a return to the time of the Prophet Muhammad so that the Sharia Law can be adhered to in its totality. Those concerned about improving women's status should recognize the fact that Islam is not a monolithic construct represented by fundamentalists forces. There are other views of Islam, the Qur'an and the Sharia Law that are different from fundamentalist views. A synopsis of these forces' arguments is provided. Muslim feminists propose a new reading of the primary sources to improve women's legal status.
