ABSTRACT
This chapter investigates the placing of Shariat in the postcolonial Muslim political discourse. Exploring the ways in which constitutionally granted minority rights are identified as potential sources for articulating political arguments and positions, the chapter looks at two conceptual questions: (a) What are the forms in which Shariat is represented as a political issue? (b) How do these varied political forms draw legal-constitutional legitimacy? The chapter argues that MPL and UCC are always defined in political terms. Hence, it important to understand the ways in which the idea of Shariat is interpreted the realm of politics.
