Dr. Lena-Maria Möller

Research Fellow in Subproject B04 "Enactments of Authority: Rhetorical Strategies in Jewish and Islamic Legal Texts"

CRC 1385 "Law and Literature"
Domplatz 6
Room: NN
lena-maria.moeller@uni-muenster.de

  • Research Areas

    • Islamic and Arab laws
    • Law and Popular Culture in the Middle East
    • Arab States of the Persian Gulf
    • Comparative Law
    • Private International Law

  • Vita

    • since 2023: Research Fellow, CRC 1385 "Law and Literature"

    • since 2019: Associate Editor, Arab Law Quarterly (Brill)

    • 2022-2023: Visiting Professor of Islamic Law, Institute for Arabic and Islamic Studies, University of Münster

    • 2021-2022: Parental leave

    • 2021: Visiting Scholar, New York University Abu Dhabi

    • 2019-2021: Acting Professor of Islamic Law, Institute of Oriental Studies, University of Leipzig

    • 2019-2020: Co-President, Arab-German Young Academy of Sciences and Humanities

    • 2015-2016: Member of the research initiative “The Gulf Family”, Center for International and Regional Studies, Georgetown University in Qatar

    • 2015: Otto Hahn Medal of the Max Planck Society

    • 2015: Doctoral Prize of the Faculty of Law at the University of Hamburg

    • 2014-2019: Senior Research Fellow, Research Group: “Changes in God's Law: An Inner Islamic Comparison of Family and Succession Laws”, Max Planck Institute for Comparative and International Private Law, Hamburg

    • 2014-2018: Adjunct Professor at the University of Augsburg

    • 2014: Ph.D. in Law (University of Hamburg)

    • 2013-2014: Acting Junior Professor of Islamic Studies, Department of Middle East Studies, University of Hamburg

    • 2010-2013: Research Associate, Max Planck Institute for Comparative and International Private Law, Hamburg

    • 2010: M.A. in Middle East Studies (University of Hamburg)

    • 2004-2010: Study of Middle East Studies and Law at the University of Hamburg and Columbia University in the City of New York

  • Publications

    Book

    • Die Golfstaaten auf dem Weg zu einem modernen Recht für die Familie? Zur Kodifikation des Personalstatuts in Bahrain, Katar und den Vereinigten Arabischen Emiraten. Tübingen: Mohr Siebeck 2015.

    Editorship & Special Issues

    • The MENA Region and COVID-19: Impact, Implications and Prospects. Routledge 2022 (with Zeina Hobaika & Jan Claudius Völkel). doi: 10.4324/9781003240044.
    • Special Issue Ten Years after the Arab Uprisings: Beyond Media and Liberation (2021) 9 Media and Communication (with Hanan Badr).
    • Filiation and the Protection of Parentless Children: Towards a Social Definition of the Family in Muslim Jurisdictions. T.M.C. Asser Press/Springer 2019 (gemeinsam mit Nadjma Yassari & Marie-Claude Najm). doi: 10.1007/978-94-6265-311-5.
    • Parental Care and the Best Interests of the Child in Muslim Countries. T.M.C. Asser Press/Springer 2017 (with Nadjma Yassari & Imen Gallala-Arndt). doi:10.1007/978-94-6265-174-6.
    • First Max Planck Symposium Issue on Child Law in Muslim Countries (2015) 63 The American Journal of Comparative Law (with Nadjma Yassari & Imen Gallala-Arndt).

    Journal Articles

    • "One Year of Civil Family Law in the United Arab Emirates: A Preliminary Assessment." In: Arab Law Quarterly 37 (2023, forthcoming). doi:10.1163/15730255-bja10140.
    • "Marital Choice and 'Suitability' in a Heterogeneous Society: Some Reflections on Kafāʾa in the United Arab Emirates." In: Asian Yearbook of Human Rights and Humanitarian Law VI (Festschrift Shaheen Sardar Ali) (2022): 134-147. doi:10.1163/9789004520806_008.
    • Editorial: "Beyond Mainstream Media and Communication Perspectives on the Arab Uprisings." In: Media and Communication 9 (2021): 260-263 (with Hanan Badr). doi: 10.17645/mac.v9i4.5151.
    • "Family Law in the GCC and the Best Interests of the Child: The Multiple Meanings of a Vague Legal Concept." In: Hawwa - Journal of Women of the Middle East and the Islamic World 16 (2018): 309-332. doi:10.1163/15692086-12341341.
    • "Wenn Jugendliche heiraten: Die Minderjährigenehe aus rechtsvergleichender und internationalprivatrechtlicher Sicht." In: Kritische Justiz 50 (2017): 269-285 (with Nadjma Yassari). doi:10.5771/0023-4834-2017-3-269.
    • "Überblick über das syrische Familienrecht." In: Das Standesamt 70 (2017): 298-303.
    • "An Enduring Relic: Family Law Reform and the Inflexibility of Wilāya." In: The American Journal of Comparative Law 63 (2015): 893-925. doi:10.5131/AJCL.2015.0027.
    • "Introduction – Negotiating Parenthood in Muslim Countries: Changing Concepts and Perceptions." In: The American Journal of Comparative Law 63 (2015): 819-827 (with Imen Gallala-Arndt & Nadjma Yassari). doi:10.5131/AJCL.2015.0024.

    • "No Fear of Talāq: A Reconsideration of Muslim Divorce Laws in Light of the Rome III Regulation." In: Journal of Private International Law 10 (2014): 461-487. doi:10.5235/17441048.10.3.461.

    • "Family Law in the Arab Gulf: Recent Developments and Reform Patterns." In: Journal of International Law and Islamic Law (formerly Journal of Islamic State Practices in International Law) 9 (2013): 22-39.

    • "Custody Regulations in the United Arab Emirates: Legal Reforms and Social Realities." In: Hawwa - Journal of Women of the Middle East and the Islamic World 11 (2013): 41-57. doi:10.1163/15692086-12341242.

    • "Die neuen Familienrechtskodifikationen in den Golfstaaten Bahrain, Katar und VAE." In: Das Standesamt 64 (2011): 325-332.

    Book Chapters

    • "Introduction: The MENA region and COVID-19 – concept and content of this book." In: Zeina Hobeika, Lena-Maria Möller & Jan Claudius Völkel (eds.): The MENA Region and COVID-19: Impact, Implications and Prospects. Routledge 2022. 1-16 (with Zeina Hobaika & Jan Claudius Völkel). doi: 0.4324_9781003240044-1.
    • "Conclusions: The MENA region and COVID-19 – lessons for the future." In: Zeina Hobeika, Lena-Maria Möller & Jan Claudius Völkel (Hgg.): The MENA Region and COVID-19: Impact, Implications and Prospects. Routledge 2022. 171-175 (with Zeina Hobaika & Jan Claudius Völkel). doi: 10.4324_9781003240044-14.
    • "United Arab Emirates: Temporary Multiculturalism, but Permanent Legal Pluralism?" In: Nadjma Yassari & Marie-Claire Foblets (eds.): Normativity and Diversity in Family Law: Lessons from Comparative Law. Springer 2022. 101-117. doi:10.1007/978-3-030-83106-6_5.
    • "Religiöser Einfluss auf staatliches Recht in islamischen Ländern." In: Thomas Schüller & Thomas Neumann (eds.): Kirchenrecht im Dialog (Tagungsband zur Tagung des Instituts für Kanonisches Recht, 18.-20. Februar 2019, Fulda). Berliner Wissenschafts-Verlag 2020. 132-146.
    • "Familienrecht und Religion: Ein Blick in das islamische Recht." In: Claudia Mayer et al. (eds.): Familienrecht und Religion – Europäische Perspektiven. Gieseking Verlag 2019. 183-201.
    • "United Arab Emirates." In: Nadjma Yassari, Lena-Maria Möller & Marie-Claude Najm (Hgg.): Filiation and the Protection of Parentless Children: Towards a Social Definition of the Family in Muslim Jurisdictions. T.M.C. Asser Press/Springer 2019. 351-372. doi:10.1007/978-94-6265-311-5_13.
    • "Synopsis."In: Nadjma Yassari, Lena-Maria Möller & Marie-Claude Najm (Hgg.): Filiation and the Protection of Parentless Children: Towards a Social Definition of the Family in Muslim Jurisdictions. T.M.C. Asser Press/Springer 2019. 403-412 (with Nadjma Yassari). doi:10.1007/978-94-6265-311-5_15.
    • "Recht in Afghanistan ab 1920." In: Ludwig Paul (ed.): Handbuch der Iranistik Bd. II. Reichert 2017. 243-252 (with Nadjma Yassari).
    • "Synopsis." In: Nadjma Yassari, Lena-Maria Möller & Imen Gallala-Arndt (eds.): Parental Care and the Best Interests of the Child in Muslim Countries. T.M.C. Asser Press/Springer 2017. 325-353 (with Nadjma Yassari & Imen Gallala-Arndt). doi:10.1007/978-94-6265-174-6_12.
    • "Improving Women’s Rights through Children’s Rights? The Reform of Custody Laws in Contemporary Muslim Jurisdictions." In: Maarit Jänterä-Jareborg & Hélène Tigroudja (eds.): Women’s Human Rights and the Elimination of Discrimination / Les droits des femmes et l’élimination de la discrimination (Académie de droit international de la Haye). Brill Nijhoff 2016. 465-489. doi:10.1163/1875-8096_pplcdu_ej.9789004327559.‌‌ch12.
    • "Struggling for a Modern Family Law: A Khaleeji Perspective." In: Nadjma Yassari (Hg.): Changing God’s Law: The Dynamics of Middle Eastern Family Law. Routledge 2016. 83-112.
    • "Recht im Iran ab 1925." In: Ludwig Paul (Hg.): Handbuch der Iranistik Bd. I. Reichert 2013. 144-154 (with Nadjma Yassari).

    Encyclopedia Entries

    • "Law: Modern Family Law, 1800-Present: Gulf States." In: Suad Joseph et al. (eds.): Encyclopedia of Women and Islamic Cultures Online Edition (Supplement XVII). Brill 2018. doi:10.1163/1872-5309_ewic_COM_‌002149.
    • "Bahrain." In: Cole Durham and Gerhard Robbers (eds.): Encyclopedia of Law and Religion (Volume 3: Asia). Brill 2016. 30-34. doi:10.1163/9789004236936_elr_COM_000088.

    Commentaries

    • "Art. 13-17, 20-30 Hague Protocol of 23 November 2007 on the Law Applicable to Maintenance Obligations." In: Beate Gsell et al. (eds.) beck-online.GROSSKOMMENTAR zum Zivilrecht. CH Beck 2018.

    Case Notes

    • Anerkennung und Wirksamkeit islamisch geprägter Eheauflösungen in Europa: Anmerkungen zu OLG München, Beschluss vom 13.03.2018 - 34 Wx 146/14, den Schlussanträgen des EuGH-Generalanwalts Saugmandsgaard Øe vom 14.09.2017 und EuGH, Urteil vom 20.12.2017 - C-372/16 (Soha Sahyouni ./. Raja Mamisch) (2018) Zeitschrift für Recht & Islam/Journal of Law & Islam, 9-15.

    Book Reviews

    • Review of Uwe Kischel (ed.), Religiöses Recht und religiöse Gerichte als Herausforderung des Staates. Mohr Siebeck 2016. In: The Rabel Journal of Comparative and International Private Law 82. 2018. 229-233.

    Web-Based Publications

  • Lectures (since 2018)

    1. The New Civil Family Laws in the UAE and Their Application in the Abu Dhabi Civil Family Court, Expatriate Law International Family Law Conference 2023, Abu Dhabi, 27 April 2023.

    2. Federal Civil Family Law No. 41 of 2022: International and Comparative Perspectives, Dubai Judicial Institute, 16 March 2023.

    3. Abu Dhabi’s New Civil Family Law, Abu Dhabi Judicial Academy, Abu Dhabi Judicial Department, 13 October 2022.

    4. Kindschaftsrecht und elterliche Sorge in Syrien: Eine rechtsvergleichende Einordnung, Annual Conference of the German Association for Arabic and Islamic Law, University of Göttingen, 26 October 2019.

    5. Choice of Partner and Spousal Equivalence in a Heterogeneous Society: On the Judicial Interpretation of Kafāʾa in the United Arab Emirates, 26th International Congress of the German Middle East Studies Association, Hamburg, 4 October 2019.

    6. Book launch: Filiation and the Protection of Parentless Children: Towards a Social Definition of the Family in Muslim Jurisdictions (T.M.C. Asser Press/Springer 2019) by Nadjma Yassari, Lena-Maria Möller & Marie-Claude Najm (eds), 26th International Congress of the German Middle East Studies Association, Hamburg, 4 October 2019.

    7. Familienrecht und Religion: Ein Blick in das islamische Recht, 14th Symposium on European Family Law: Family Law and Religion – European Perspectives, University of Regensburg, 15 March 2019.

    8. Religiöser Einfluss auf staatliches Recht in islamischen Ländern, Interdisciplinary Symposium: Canon Law in Dialogue, Episcopal Seminary Fulda, 19 February 2019.

    9. Zur Wahrnehmung von Geschlecht und Religion im IPR: Das Beispiel des islamisch geprägten Familienrechts, Study Day Legal Gender Studies, Faculty of Law, University of Hamburg, 6 December 2018.

    10. United Arab Emirates: Temporary Multiculturalism, but Permanent Legal Pluralism?, Contribution to panel “Multicultural Challenges in Family Law”, 20th General Congress of the International Academy of Comparative Law, Fukuoka, 27 July 2018.

    11. Emirati Women and the Codification of Family Law, Varieties of Emirati Womanhood: Subjectivities, Creativities, and Confines, NYU Abu Dhabi, 28 March 2018.