Texas A&M University School of Law associate professor Sahar Aziz is renowned for her scholarship, research, writing and policy work on the rule of law in Egypt and Middle East law and policy. Her scholarship also concentrates on the intersection of national security and civil rights law with a focus on the post-9/11 era. As such, she is frequently called upon by local, national, and international media outlets as a recognized expert to discuss and analyze these issues as they relate to current topics in the news.
Insight into Egypt's Elections
Prof. Aziz appeared on the FOX News primetime show "Special Report w/ Brett Baier" in the segment "Potential aftermath following Egypt presidential election" by James Rosen on May 28. Aziz suggested reconciliation between likely president Abdel Fattah al-Sisi and the Muslim Brotherhood as the way to "work towards making a better Egypt" and best achieve the government's broader goals. Watch the video via this link.
Aziz recently participated in a live, online video panel May 21 broadcast from Washington, D.C. The panel, presented by RFK Center and EARLA Panel on Egypt’s Elections: Justice, Gender and Human Rights explored the legal, gender and human rights implications of Egypt's upcoming presidential and parliamentary elections. Through the lens of international human rights standards, the panelists examined ongoing rights violations and their potential effects on the electoral environment and overall democratization. See the broadcast here.
On May 27, Aziz was interviewed on Al Jazeera offering analysis and insight on the legal process and political legitimacy of Egypt's 2014 presidential elections. See the complete interview here.
Discussion of Mubarak's conviction and its impact on the Sisi government
On May 25, Aziz commented in Egypt Independent on the conviction and sentencing of Egypt's deposed president Hosni Mubarak for embezzling public money to build his private palaces. Read the complete article here.
Analysis of Egypt's Judicial System
Aziz also discussed the recent controversial rulings of Egypt’s judiciary in TIME.com. In the wake of recent mass death sentence rulings, Aziz shared her insights into the selection of judges for politically significant cases. Aziz, a board member of the Egyptian-American Rule of Law Association, recently analyzed this topic as well as Egypt’s judicial reform, human rights issues, and independent judiciary on Al Jazeera English. The article, “Egypt’s Judges Flex Their Muscles,” by Jared Malsin in Cairo was posted online May 13, 2014. Read the entire article.
Aziz was featured on a France International Radio in a segment called “Egyptian court jails over 150 Brotherhood supporters.” Her comments refer to the May 18th mass conviction. She suggested a systematic problem within Egypt’s judiciary. “You have three courts at minimum who have been issuing mass convictions, and in some cases death sentences with very minimum due process rights,” she said. Many have questions about the judicial system and why judges are issuing sentences so quickly. “The problem is significant enough that the judges need to do some internal housekeeping,” Aziz said. Listen to the segment here.
Sharia Law and the U.S. Court System
Aziz was recently featured on WBFF-TV FOX45 Baltimore in a segment called “Your Voice, Your Future” by reporter, Ty Jackson. Seven states recently banned outside laws such as Sharia laws in their court systems. Aziz, civil rights law expert, says, “Sharia law is a way of life. It is a system in which Muslims attempt to live their faith in their daily lives.” The belief system is based on the Koran. To view the complete segment, visit http://foxbaltimore.com/news/features/vote/# and scroll to "Are Cultural Laws Testing U.S. Courts?"
Aziz Attends Doha Forum: Exploring Legal & Policy Challenges in the Middle East
Professor Aziz attended the annual Doha Forum, an international conference that gathers top diplomats, government officials, academics, journalists and civil society leaders from around the world. This year’s forum, "Enriching the Middle East's Economic Future," held May 12-14, hosted more than 600 participants representing more than 80 countries and organizations. Aziz’s scholarship, research, writing and policy work on rule of law in Egypt and Middle East law and policy secured her spot among the select group of invitees.
Faculty participation in the Doha Forum is just one example of Texas A&M School of Law's international reach. The law school recently hosted a panel of Arab women leaders, a lecture series on what America can learn from Australian water law reform, and a forum on democracy in the Middle East. Its faculty expertise ranges from international energy, environmental and water law to Middle East policy, along with international financial regulations, international adoption law and other high-impact topics.
Read more about Texas A&M School of Law associate professor Sahar Aziz.