My research into the topic revealed that Shari'ah has been operating in East London, in parallel to the British legal system, since 1982. What's more, Shari'ah is being used informally within the Muslim community to tackle crime such as gang fights or stabbings, bypassing police and the British court system. A few hard-line leaders indicated they would like it to be taken even further. A common view is that Britain should adopt Shari'ah punishments such as stoning and the chopping off of hands to reduce violent crime. Its proponents extol the virtues of its deterrent nature.
Surprisingly, the Muslim women interviewed perceived this Shari'ah divorce arbitration as the only possible solution to get out of an abusive marriage. Were they intimidated, cheated out of their just entitlement as they have no recourse to other legal recourses?
Giving standing to religious arbitrators is madness, and one hopes for the day when Muslim women, especially those who are citizens or legal residents of western democracies, start protesting in the streets. Revert to the law of civil judgment.
Instead of accommodating an inhumane, antiquated religious substitute for the real thing, the rule of law, in the land of the Magna Carta no less, all enlightened forces should work together to apply the prevailing laws of the land for all its citizens, religious or not of whatever flavor, instead of attempting to appease a vociferous minority that threatens with recriminations against its host country.
Islam should be banned to its inconsequential realm of spiritualism. Rather than increase the importance of any religious law put it on the back burner of a secular nation like Great Britain.
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