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                         May 3, 2002

Academy's Islamic law course helps cadets understand 'real world' issues

Story and photo by Jim Fox
Staff Writer

Having knowledge of Islamic Law is something that can only benefit future Army officers, according to new associate professor of Law Dr. Mark D. Welton.

"U.S. forces, and the officers leading them, invariably interact with the domestic laws of countries in which they serve or are deployed," the former military law professor said. "So a basic understanding of Islamic Law is professionally, as well as academically, interesting and important."

Welton was hired by the academy’s Department of Law last summer as a new Title 10 professor, according to department head Col. Pat Finnegan.

Finnegan classifies Welton as West Point’s resident "expert on Islamic Law and comparative law."

"We are fortunate to have someone as talented and as well versed in this subject as Professor Welton," Finnegan said.

Finnegan said Welton is well-respected by the individuals he teaches.

"He has been able to impress on these cadets exactly how important this subject is."

Welton has been with the Law department since 1999. A retired Lieutenant Colonel, he spent 23 years as an Army Judge Advocate.

Islamic Law is being taught as part of the Jurisprudence and Legal Philosophy course, LW 495. A core course for American Legal Systems majors here.

Beginning with academic year 2003-2004 the Department of Law will offer a new course on Comparative Legal Systems, which Welton will teach, as part of the new curriculum changes that are being adopted for the class of 2005 and beyond.

"CLS will compare the three major world legal systems: common law, civil law and Islamic law," Welton said.

"It will, therefore, provide a fairly in-depth study of Islamic law and will be a required course for cadets in the American Legal System major and field of study, but will be open to other interested cadets as well," he said.

"The importance of the subject for cadets is fairly clear," Welton explained. "Officers now serve and will likely continue to serve in countries and areas of the world that are subject in whole or in part to Islamic law."

The former instructor at the Judge Advocate Generals’ School at the University of Virginia said Islamic Law is growing in importance in many countries of Africa and Asia.

"Twenty years ago it was a fairly minor part of the legal systems of many countries in those regions," Welton said. "It is now growing rapidly in significance in Saudi Arabia, Iran, Pakistan, Indonesia, Egypt, Nigeria and many others."

"The events of 9-11 have simply raised awareness of the importance of Islam and Islamic law in the world," he said.

The cadets taking Welton’s LW495 course said his experience and knowledge make the subject easy to understand.

"He has done an outstanding job this semester in bringing us to a level of understanding of the law we will be faced with as officers," Cadet 1st Class Mike Snowden said.

Classmate Darwin Maull said studying Islamic Law is helpful because it is so different than what we are use to in the United States.

Nancy Perkins, another member of the bicentennial class, said understanding different cultures is an absolute help as a future leader.

"It is better to understand people than to exclude them," the future Engineer said.

"These future officers need to have a basic understanding of the society they will be working with," Finnegan said. "Those societies are in many cases based in Islamic Law."