Book excerpt: The provision of Islamic kafala has no legal correspondence with secularised political systems and structures, and, as a result, requires a proper understanding of the legislative measures that are indispensable for the protection of the weakest groups of society, at least when the latter turn out to be mostly vulnerable or abandoned. Most recent international conventions have placed much emphasis on the priority to be given to child protection rather than other personal interests. While no syntagmatic principle exists for a theoretical definition and boundary of religious freedoms and legal rules affecting Islamic kafala, it has become a prevailing interpretative canon which requires the scholar to aim for a proper understanding of the cultural identities and measures to safeguard individuals concerned. This book is a thought-provoking study of these important issues, and will serve to strengthen further research into this topic area for the benefit of both academic and professional readers.