ELAW Fellow from Morocco

ELAW Director John Bonine & ELAW Fellow Samyra Idllalene

ELAW Fellow Samyra Idllalene, a law professor at Cadi Ayyad University in Marrakech, is exploring how Islamic law and other legal systems work to protect natural heritage.

Samyra writes about her work in a recent Guest Viewpoint in The Register-Guard:

“Islamic law is a subject of controversy in the U.S., but when we dig a little more deeply, we find roots shared with civil and common law systems – aimed at protecting our natural heritage. At home in Morocco, these protections extended to wildlife, including storks that winter in Morocco as they migrate south from Europe across the Strait of Gibraltar…

I came to Eugene to compare legal instruments between Islamic law, common law, and customary law traditions. Working and thinking alongside colleagues at ELAW, UO Law, and in Eugene, I am learning that many of our legal, religious and cultural traditions have common roots. Although we live in a world often marked by division, I am confident that if we honor those roots and the ethics that we find there, we can work our way to a cleaner, safer future.”

We are thrilled to collaborate with Samyra on this important work, building bridges across borders.

Bern Johnson
Executive Director

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