Editor's Note

Welcome to the ninth issue of Opalesque Islamic Finance Intelligence, it's a busy edition!  We touch on equity screening in our editorial section, while the Featured Resource covers multimedia and interactive sources.  The Featured Structure section has Nikan analyzing how successive parallel Murabahas can be used to construct a Profit Rate Swap.

Lex Islamicus hears from Hakimah Yaacob and Edib Smolo, both from the International Shari’ah Research Academy (ISRA), as they dissect the approach taken by Enlgish courts towards Islamic finance contracts.  Furthermore, the Kulliyyah Korner hears from Ezry Fahmy, Jhordy Kashoogie and Asim Anwar Kamal who co-authored a study on the relationship between Shariah compliant structures and the Maqasid al-Shari'ah.

As part of our ongoing survey (The Islamic Window) Joy Abdullah delves into the perception of Islamic finance, particularly from outside of the industry.  This is complemented in the Industry Snapshot by Deloitte's David Vicary who provides his views on the importance of education and financial literacy.  Our Opinion Column shares the views of Nihad Awad from CAIR, on a topic that might not appear to be related to Islamic finance at the outset, although we argue the industry has an opportunity to contribute here in a positive way.

As always, we are keen to hear your comments & suggestions and remember that you can visit our online archive (see reference link for access to our ever-growing databank of Opalesque Islamic Finance Briefing as well as all of the back issues of Opalesque Islamic Finance Intelligence.

Best Regards,
Bernardo
Editor, Opalesque Islamic Finance Intelligence

Please contact us, we would love to hear from you:

Publisher: Matthias Knab - knab@opalesque.com
Editor: Bernardo Vizcaino - bernardo@opalesque.com
Advertising Director: Denice Galicia - dgalicia@opalesque.com

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About OFI

OIFI is the latest addition to the Opalesque family and designed to provide an effective gateway towards this growing and fast-evolving industry. It aims to provide an innovative and sophisticated approach to Islamic finance, with an unmatched ability to openly discuss the various issues, challenges and opportunities within the industry. Above all, OIFI maintains a practitioner approach – focusing on precise and relevant content for investors, product manufacturers, fund managers and all members of this truly global community.

This new publication addresses the Islamic finance community through a monthly edition, complemented by the Opalesque Islamic Finance Briefing (our free industry news daily), and a variety of additional tools for readers. OIFI brings together a wide range of guest columnists, interviews, profiles and much more. Our coverage includes:

  • Featured resources and research material
  • Featured structures and their applications
  • Fund Manager profiles
  • Allocator / Institutional interviews
  • Featured articles and opinion columns
  • Discussion boards and forums
  • Industry statistics and metrics

Above all, OIFI brings a new and energetic approach; it is a must-read for anyone interested in entering this field and a welcome new approach for industry participants.

The OIFI concept has been jointly developed between Opalesque and Amsar Partners, an independent Islamic finance consultancy. Amsar brings together a multi-disciplinary team that includes Bernardo Vizcaino, CAIA, Managing Director; Nikan Firoozye Ph.D., Director of Shariah Structuring; and Khalil Jarrar J.D., Director of Jurisprudence. They combine highly regarded financial, academic and research backgrounds with an unmatched industry network.

Their working experience ranges from boutique to institutional. Their research has explored Islamic funds, sukuk structures, a wide range of Shariah compliant instruments, as well as work on the conventional world - fixed income relative value strategies, bayesian models for algorithmic trading, macroeconomics, 130/30 and SRI funds, etc. Their previous editorial engagements have included the Middle East Insurance Review, Euromoney, RISK Magazine, Islamic Finance News, Terrapinn, IQPC, CNBC, Bloomberg, among others. Their academic trajectory ranges from Masters of Applied Finance, PhD in Applied Mathematics, Chartered Alternative Investment Analyst, Doctor of Jurisprudence, and International Law.

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