.... The ever-growing reality of “sharia councils”, mostly attached to mosques, emerged clearly during some hearings conducted earlier this month by a British parliamentary committee. Dozens of such councils are believed to exist: at least 30 well-established ones and probably many more that operate less formally. For some Muslims with marital difficulties they are an indispensable port of call.
The House of Commons home affairs committee heard both strong pleas to recognize the legitimacy and usefulness of such councils, and powerful arguments against them. Amra Bone, a legal scholar, said the work she did as part of a sharia panel attached to Birmingham Central Mosque was helpful to “hundreds and perhaps thousands of women who otherwise would be in a very difficult and oppressive situation.”
Most of the people who approach sharia councils are women seeking an Islamic divorce, which is a separate procedure from a civil divorce, and has no standing in British civil law but is nonetheless very important to somebody living deep inside an Islamic sub-culture. Islamic law makes it much easier for a man to initiate divorce unilaterally.
[TOP RATED COMMENT] Absolutely disgusting.
How weak the british have become. They should stand up for their rights and principles and tell these medieval barbarians to take a hike
There should only be one law of the land and only one court system. Sharia needs to be stamped on and stamped on hard!
[ANOTHER] .... Islam is a repressive political system more than it is a religion. It has caused division, strife, and heartache in every corner of the planet.
[ANOTHER] It's about time for the West in general and the UK in particular to wake up! There should be one civil law for civil society, period. To allow religious bodies of any type legal authority over civil matters is a gross abrogation of government responsibility. The same applies to criminal matters.
For government to cede any powers to religious organizations is a slippery slope towards theocracy, and a clear violation of the implied social contract. Wake up! If Muslims want religious law, let them move to a Muslim country that does not distinguish between the church and the state.
[ANOTHER] The fact that a respected journal deems it worthy to present the pros and cons of a repugnant law is exactly the reason why the Trumps of this world will prevail for years to come. A complete disconnect between the elite and most moderate independent minded people, let alone the right wing fanatics. [The Economist] Read more
