DAR AL HARB - U.K.: ADOPTION OF SHARI'AH IS UNAVOIDABLE SO SAYS THE ARCHBISHOP OF CANTERBURY

Sharia law 'unavoidable'

THE adoption of Sharia law in the UK is 'unavoidable', according to the Archbishop of Canterbury Rowan Williams.

Dr Williams told BBC Radio 4's World at One that some of the UK's citizens do not relate to the British legal system and that the nation must "face up to that fact".

Muslims should be able to choose whether to have issues like marital disputes or financial matters dealt with in either the existing legal system OR in Sharia-complain proceedings, Dr Williams proposed.

He added Muslims should not have to choose between the "stark alternatives of cultural loyalty or state loyalty".

But Dr Williams also stated the proposals rely on Sharia law being better understood.

Last month the Bishop of Rochester The Right Reverend Dr Michael Nazir-Ali said non-Muslims may find it hard to live or work in some areas of the UK due to multicultural divides.

He has since received death threats and has been placed under police protection.


and

Adoption of Islamic Sharia law in Britain is 'unavoidable', says Archbishop of Canterbury

The Archbishop of Canterbury has today said that the adoption of Islamic Sharia law in the UK is "unavoidable" and that it would help maintain social cohesion.

Rowan Williams told BBC Radio 4's World at One that the UK has to "face up to the fact" that some of its citizens do not relate to the British legal system.

He says that Muslims could choose to have marital disputes or financial matters dealt with in a Sharia court.

He says Muslims should not have to choose between "the stark alternatives of cultural loyalty or state loyalty".

His comments are likely to fuel the debate over multiculturalism in the UK. .

But Dr Williams insists that Sharia law needs to be better understood.

At the moment, he says "sensational reporting of opinion polls" clouds the issue.

He stresses that "nobody in their right mind would want to see in this country the kind of inhumanity that's sometimes been associated with the practice of the law in some Islamic states".

Dr Williams said the argument that "there's one law for everybody... I think that's a bit of a danger".

He added: "There's a place for finding what would be a constructive accommodation with some aspects of Muslim law, as we already do with some other aspects of religious law.

"What we don't want either, is I think, a stand-off, where the law squares up to people's religious consciences."

Last month, one of Dr William's colleagues, the Bishop of Rochester, said that non-Muslims may find it hard to live or work in some areas of the UK.

The Right Reverend Dr Michael Nazir-Ali said there was "hostility" in some areas and described the government's multicultural policies as divisive.


and

Archbishop backs sharia law for British Muslims
by David Batty

The Archbishop of Canterbury said today sharia law should be introduced in the UK for Muslims.

Rowan Williams told BBC Radio 4's World at One the introduction of the controversial system of Islamic justice in the UK was "unavoidable".

Williams said Muslims should be able to choose whether to have matters such as marital disputes dealt with under sharia law or the British legal system.

He said giving sharia official status in the UK would help maintain social cohesion because some Muslims do not relate to the British legal system.

Its introduction would mean Muslims would no longer have to choose between "the stark alternatives of cultural loyalty or state loyalty", he said.

Williams said his proposal would only work if sharia law was properly understood, rather than seen through the eyes of biased media reports.

He said he was not proposing the adoption of extreme interpretations of sharia law practiced in some repressive regimes.

"Nobody in their right mind would want to see in this country the kind of inhumanity that's sometimes been associated with the practice of the law in some Islamic states," he said.


Pertinent Links:

1) Sharia law 'unavoidable'

2) Adoption of Islamic Sharia law in Britain is 'unavoidable', says Archbishop of Canterbury

3) Archbishop backs sharia law for British Muslims