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Anglican Head in Trouble over Sharia Comments
by
findingDulcinea Staff
The Archbishop of Canterbury Rowan Williams’ call to recognize aspects of Islamic law in Britain’s legal system has met a hail of criticism.
30-Second Summary
“Muddled” and “misguided” are how the Financial Times and Investor’s Business Daily respectively characterized Archbishop Rowan Williams’ suggestion that Britain adopt aspects of Sharia law, the traditional law of Islamic teaching based on the Koran.
The British tabloids were less temperate. The Sun, Britain’s most popular daily, ran with the headline “A Victory for Terrorism.”
Williams sparked the controversy in an interview with BBC Radio 4’s World at One last week. He said that the “constructive accommodation” of aspects of Islamic law would be an acknowledgment of Britain’s multicultural reality, not a legal exemption for the Muslim community.
British Muslims should not be split between their loyalty to the state and their cultural affiliations, he argued.
He said Sharia courts could help adjudicate in matters of family law. He noted that Orthodox Jewish courts serve as a precedent, and that British common law reflects Christianity’s anti-abortion views.
Williams’ predecessor as church leader, Lord Carey, said accepting Islamic laws would be “disastrous” for the country.
The Financial Times’ editorial board wrote that Islamic law is not equipped to deal with many modern issues, nor does it guarantee equal rights for everyone.
Investor’s Business Daily said that recognizing Sharia jurisdiction “under cover of tolerance” would strip Britain’s sizable Muslim minority of legal rights.
In 2004, similar arguments arose in Ontario, Canada, when a report came out recommending the recognition of Sharia law in order to help with a backlog of court cases.
The British tabloids were less temperate. The Sun, Britain’s most popular daily, ran with the headline “A Victory for Terrorism.”
Williams sparked the controversy in an interview with BBC Radio 4’s World at One last week. He said that the “constructive accommodation” of aspects of Islamic law would be an acknowledgment of Britain’s multicultural reality, not a legal exemption for the Muslim community.
British Muslims should not be split between their loyalty to the state and their cultural affiliations, he argued.
He said Sharia courts could help adjudicate in matters of family law. He noted that Orthodox Jewish courts serve as a precedent, and that British common law reflects Christianity’s anti-abortion views.
Williams’ predecessor as church leader, Lord Carey, said accepting Islamic laws would be “disastrous” for the country.
The Financial Times’ editorial board wrote that Islamic law is not equipped to deal with many modern issues, nor does it guarantee equal rights for everyone.
Investor’s Business Daily said that recognizing Sharia jurisdiction “under cover of tolerance” would strip Britain’s sizable Muslim minority of legal rights.
In 2004, similar arguments arose in Ontario, Canada, when a report came out recommending the recognition of Sharia law in order to help with a backlog of court cases.
Headline Links: Archbishop’s Sharia comments stir anger
The BBC interviewed Dr. Rowan Williams on Radio 4 and offered the first coverage of his comments, and the probable reaction, on Feb. 7.
Source: WorldWide Religious News
Archbishop of Canterbury Rowan Williams defended his comments on Sharia law in a long address to the leaders of the Church of England. The BBC presents a précis and analysis of his speech.
Source: The BBC
Opinion & Analysis: ‘Muddled’ or multicultural?
The Radio 4 interview
Archbishop Williams said the adoption of aspects of Sharia law seems “unavoidable” if social cohesion is to be maintained in Britain. “Nobody in their right mind I think would want to see in this country a kind of inhumanity that's sometimes been associated with the practice of the law in some Islamic states,” he said, but added that it should not be assumed, as some do, that the Islamic canon is incompatible with the idea of human rights.
Source: The BBC
The case against Sharia
While the editorial board of the Financial Times agreed that a debate about the role of law in a multicultural society is called for, Williams’ suggestion about Sharia courts is “muddled.” The newspaper wrote that the law already provides for private arbitration in certain matters and Sharia law is not equipped to arbitrate in a modern environment. The state guarantees that the principles of equal rights and access to justice are upheld; a Sharia court does not, the paper wrote.
Source: Financial Times
Investor's Business Daily judged Williams’ remarks misguided. The Daily editorial said recognizing Sharia courts “under cover of tolerance” would force Britain’s Muslim minority “into an alternative legal system run by an unelected theocracy.”
Source: Investor's Business Daily
British tabloid The Sun wrote, “Dr. Williams’ extraordinary claim is a huge propaganda coup for extremists plotting to end centuries of the British way of life.”
Source: The Sun
Reference: Sharia law
“Sharia rulings have been developed to help Muslims understand how they should lead every aspect of their lives according to God's wishes,” the BBC reports. Muslim women in the West have expressed concerns about their rights under Sharia as Islamic law tends to discriminate against them.
Source: The BBC
Related Links: ‘Sharia law in Canada, almost’
A 2004 report urging that Sharia courts be recognized in Ontario, Canada, caused a public outcry. Because of the strong public backlash, the province’s premier banned faith-based arbitration despite the attorney general’s recommendation that religious tribunals be allowed to adjudicate.
Source: The Guardian
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