The case concerned a couple married in the United States according to Islamic law, who had a child custody dispute. The mother, among other things, contended that she should have custody as East Jerusalem, where the husband resided, had become dangerous. The father filed a claim for custody in the Sharia Court of Israel. The Massachusetts Appeals Court remanded the case to the probate court for further consideration, including the issue of whether it had jurisdiction in the matter, thus not engaging any substantive issues related to Islamic family law.