.... In other words: "the state doesn’t have the monopoly on justice," says Imam Fadai.
But that monopoly is precisely what Bavaria’s Minister of Justice, Beate Merk, wishes to ensure: no, sharia courts should not be tolerated. "A parallel justice system that circumvents our system is not acceptable," she says.
Merk asked state prosecutors, lawyers, integration officials, and others familiar with immigrant communities for their input, and was alarmed by the feedback: judges and imams promulgating their own laws are very common, but it’s also very hard to prove.
However, whenever cases of “parallel justice” have come to light, they were shown to be in serious violation of prevailing legislation.
The Justice Ministry received reports of court cases in which judges exercised behind-the-scenes influence on both parties so that both the defendant and the accused -- who had already given accounts of events to police – suddenly refused to talk in court, or gave false testimony. [DIE WELT/Worldcrunch] Read more
