UK ready for Shiria Law?

[Xanith]

According to the Archbishop of Canterbury he feels that Shiria Law is pretty much inevitable inside the UK. I was just wondering how the people living inside the UK feel about this. For those that don’t know what Shiria Law is, it is the strict Islamic Law that countries like Iran follow.

X

[capsulecorpjx]

According to the Archbishop of Canterbury he feels that Shiria Law is pretty much inevitable inside the UK. I was just wondering how the people living inside the UK feel about this. For those that don’t know what Shiria Law is, it is the strict Islamic Law that countries like Iran follow.

X

I'd lose any respect I had for the UK if they let a fanatical minority of a minority religion dictate what individuals can do.

[schoolbusdriver]

He's lost the plot. Even UK muslims think he's off his rocker.

[zaza]

This argument has gotten way out of proportion over here though. He didn't suggest that thieves have their hands chopped off, or even that any part of Sharia Law should be incorporated into the judicial system for the population at large.
What he was suggesting was that formal Sharia courts could be set up to arbitrate in civil disputes where participants want to feel as though they are acting within the guidelines of their faith. We already have such courts for Jewish civil cases; they are subject to the same guidance as every other court in the land and do not rule on criminal cases. There would not be "one law for one group of people and a different law for another group".

Or should we discriminate?

[crptcblade]

Or should we discriminate?

Yes. If they allow it on golf courses, it should be allowed in the courts.

[FunkyDexter]

Sharia law isn't neccessarily the extreme version advocated in Iran. It's more about a principle of applying the teachings of the Qu'Ran as law. If it were to be applied here that wouldn't mean we'd be stoning virgins in Leicester Square. It extends to such mundane fields as contract law, property law etc.

Also the Arch-Bishop is being quite badly miss-quoted on this one. What he said was that it was inevitable that some elements of sharia law would become law in this country in time. Given that we already allow independent arbitration and tribunals to pass legally binding decisions in this country, that's pretty much the case already.

I don't have a problem with, for example, muslim communities setting up their own tribunals and deciding cases themselves provided it's done within the framework of, and is subservient to, our national legal system and provided that parties in dispute have the option to go to the standard legal system if they choose.

I also accept that, as Muslims form a fairly substantial minority in our nation, their morality will be represented in our legal system. That legal system does, after all, represent the entirity of our society. I think what the Arch Bishop is describing, though, is a million miles from the Sharia as it's currently being portrayed and would do no more damage to our legal system than the Christian principles that underpinned it right up until the reformation and have continued to heavily influence it ever since.

[mendhak]

The Arab world isn't ready for Sharia law, why should the UK be?

[Shaggy Hiker]

The US is not exempt from some alternate legal systems. We have them, and they integrate suitably into US law. It sounds like the ABC isn't saying anything radical.

Aren't the muslims the ones who don't believe in interest, or do I have my groups mixed up? That seems to be an area that neither British nor US law would have anything to say.

[Shaggy Hiker]

I'd lose any respect I had for the UK if they let a fanatical minority of a minority religion dictate what individuals can do.

That's why I oppose the evangelicals in this country, as well.

[FunkyDexter]

Aren't the muslims the ones who don't believe in interest

Yep, there was an interesting article recently about how banks are starting to offer interest free mortgages so they can catch the Muslim customer base. I can't remember how they were going to make money from them now but I seem to remember it involved a certain amount of double speak.

[zaza]

I believe Islamic mortgages effectively involve the bank buying the house and selling it on to you with a 0% mortgage, and in return you agree to pay the bank a higher price for the house. And, surprise surprise, the extra amount that you're paying for the house exactly corresponds to the amount of interest that the bank would get if they loaned you a smaller amount of money at the prevailing mortgage rate.


Makes everybody feel better though...

[visualAd]

Religion, morality and ethics are what create laws. If the majority of society come to an understanding that a law fit with their religion and is ethicaly and morally viable, whats the problem.

Some people in this country are unable to accept that this country is becoming more and more culturally diverse and their religions, culture and morals are encraoching more and more on the society we all live in. The notion that the ABC may also understand this probably makes them sick.

[Shaggy Hiker]

I believe Islamic mortgages effectively involve the bank buying the house and selling it on to you with a 0% mortgage, and in return you agree to pay the bank a higher price for the house. And, surprise surprise, the extra amount that you're paying for the house exactly corresponds to the amount of interest that the bank would get if they loaned you a smaller amount of money at the prevailing mortgage rate.


Makes everybody feel better though...

Yeah, it's a cute solution. You pay it off in installments, just like a regular mortgage. I had heard that there was a problem with this since few banks were initially willing to do it, so the ones that did charged a higher "fee" to for the money, which meant an effectively higher interest rate.

[wossname]

This is all a bit fatuous really since if we were all completely free to vent our actual views on such topics, we'd all be soundly banned before we finished our sentenc

[Shaggy Hiker]

My actual view is: "I don't really care what the ABC said." That probably isn't sufficient for a banning.

[SurfDemon]

I got the impression that the ABC wasn't condoning a dual legal system, but implying that we should at least open our eyes to what is inevitable. For example certain religions in the UK can conduct legally binding marriages, yet one's conducted under Sharia law are not recognised.

Now, I agree with this to a certain extent, you can't allow some religions and not others, but the bottom line is that the marriage shoud also be acceptable under UK law. See here:

http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2008...d=networkfront

I have to say that it would have to be acceptable under UK law first and foremost, and if people want to voluntarily undergo further judgement because of Sharia law, then I don't see that we can stop them; however I don't see them as being in anyway legally binding. For example: If a couple want to get divorced under Sharia law, then I doubt if we can force them to go to a british court to agree upon the terms. However, I would be worried that family pressures would be used to force young women (or men) to comply with Sharia law judgements and possibly cheat them out of their rightful settlement (or children).

And ceretainly the police should never be used to enforce Sharia law judgements.