Sharia Courts In The Uk

[shaheediyan]

http://www.coventrytelegraph.net/news/cove...92746-24083453/

ISLAMIC courts have been set up in Coventry and Warwickshire to issue rulings under strict sharia law, it has been claimed.

Thinktank Civitas claims there are 85 sharia courts across the country, with more than a quarter based in the Midlands, including Hillfields Mosque, in Coventry, and Frank Street mosque in Nuneaton.

The tribunals usually settle financial or family disputes according to Islamic principles, but cases are heard behind closed doors and women are not given the same legal status as men.

Decisions are legally binding and can be enforced in county courts and the high court if both parties have agreed to be ruled by sharia.

But judgments published online by some self-styled Muslim scholars based elsewhere in the Midlands have offered illegal advice.

Rulings have included condemning homosexuals to harsh beatings, ordering a wife to have sex with her husband “even if she is busy in the kitchen” and warnings that Muslims must not join the police.

Civitas director Dr David Green has now called for an immediate end to the recognition of Islamic courts by British law.

He said: “The reality is that for many Muslims, sharia courts are in practice part of an institutionalised atmosphere of intimidation, backed by the ultimate sanction of a death threat.”

Islamic studies expert Denis Maceoin, who compiled the report, said there could be more Muslim tribunals operating without the government’s knowledge.

“Some are relatively small and putting an exact figure on them is difficult. There is no transparency.

“They don’t have to register at all.

“Among the rulings we find some that advise illegal actions and others that transgress human rights standards as applied by British courts.”

WHAT IS SHARIA?

SHARIA is a legal code based on the Islamic faith.

Muslim countries across the world operate dual legal systems with elements of secular law alongside sharia.

Those who support the adoption of sharia in Britain argue that all aspects of a Muslim’s life are governed by the code.

Sharia courts operating in Britain only rule on civil matters, but their decisions are backed by county courts under certain circumstances.

Faisal Aqtab Siddiqi, who sits on tribunals at the UK’s first official sharia court at the Hijaz College, in Nuneaton, said: “Under sharia law a decision is given credence in the eyes of God.

"As long as the parties have submitted to the tribunal’s jurisdiction, a county court bailiff or high court sheriff can enforce our decisions.”

[Guest]

That is some serious problem, whats next? Beheading in UK?. My post is not against against islam. Sharia law dictatorship of any religion in the country where people of all faiths, atheist like live peacefully pose a great danger to secular socceity.

[Silence]

Whats ridiculous is these people already have raj in multiple countries, why must they have it here also? I'm the last to buy into the white nationalist propaganda, but really this time round it seems certain extremists are trying to take over this country in the name of Islam.

[shaheediyan]

Will be interesting to see how it progresses. In essence it seems fine i.e. only applicable to Muslims - and even then, only those Muslims who choose to abide by it... my worries are:

1 - The illegal sharia courts that will pop up all over the place (already are);

2 - The obvious complexity of issues in sharia that will contradict secular UK Law - i.e. a womans word/rights;

3 - That the UK Governement may be expected to 'enforce' rulings made on consenting Muslims, even though those rulings contradict UK laws.

4 - Anti-social/counter-productive advice being given i.e. Muslims can't join the army/police force etc (as mentioned above).

5 - The whole further alienating the Muslim commmunity in the UK and pouring water on any chance of social integration - especially in heavily populated Muslim areas like Yorkshire, Midlands etc...

It seems to me that those who want to be subjected to sharia in whatever form, can be already, they simply go the senior appointed representative in their local Mosque and simply follow his advice.

Setting up a parallel legal system is going to cause many problems in my humble opinion. The same as any other religious community, Muslims have the right to practice their faith within the bounderies of British Law i.e. legal issues concerning womans rights, and punishments for any sort of crime are dealt with by the British Courts.

If this is to go ahead - very strict and well defined criteria regarding what the sharia courts are allowed to deal with and what all possible rulings are... these should then be scrutinised and strictly monitored with fines/punishments given to those that go outside of the agreed framework. This should all be publicised, there should in no way be any sort of autonomy given to the sharia courts with regards to dealing with issues other than those agreed.

[Matheen]

I don't see a problem as long as it only applies to Muslims who choose to use them. They are just for arbitration of non-criminal matters e.g. if a couple want to settle their divorce via sharia or land disputes etc.

If they ever try to set up courts to deal with criminal matters, then there will be problems. Crime will probably fall though, lol.

[Kaljug]

I don't see a problem as long as it only applies to Muslims who choose to use them. They are just for arbitration of non-criminal matters e.g. if a couple want to settle their divorce via sharia or land disputes etc.

If they ever try to set up courts to deal with criminal matters, then there will be problems. Crime will probably fall though, lol.

Sharia courts in the UK already deal with cases where Muslims (usually female) have no say on whether they consent to these laws being applied to them, usually because of societal pressure. These laws are also used for people who have been asked to convert for marrying a Muslim, and the laws then automatically apply to any children that the couple has.

I believe there is already one Sharia court in the UK that judges criminal cases as well.

If these Muslims are so desperate to have their own laws, they are free to go back to whatever country they came from or move to a country where Sharia law is already in place. There should be one law for all in the UK, not different laws for diffferent peoples.

If Sharia law extends its sphere of judgement nito criminal matters, crime will not fall, but the number of Muslims committing crimes and then not being sent to prison might.

Regards,

K.

[Ishraqi]

Even from the point of view of classical Islamic jurisprudence these courts are illegal because the sharia for Muslims living in a non-Muslim country is the law of the land in which they are living. Sharia courts can only exist in countries that have an Islamic state and have competent jurists. Muslims who chose to live in a non-Muslim country are expected by Islamic law itself to live by the laws of the land as long as these don't encourage major sins. This certainly isn't the case in the UK which is a Christian country and whose laws are open enough to accomodate all citizens. This is a shame and the sooner these illegal courts get banned the better.The very fact that these (and other courts...) exist only shows that there is a will among some of the British elite to get rid of Britain's Christian roots.

[cul]

I don't see a problem as long as it only applies to Muslims who choose to use them. They are just for arbitration of non-criminal matters e.g. if a couple want to settle their divorce via sharia or land disputes etc.

If they ever try to set up courts to deal with criminal matters, then there will be problems. Crime will probably fall though, lol.

So after all the trouble we have gone to promote gender equality you think it's ok for a subset of society to continue to oppress their women in peace?

If these idiots want sharia they should go live in a sharia country.

[HSD1]

ugly white women should wear the bhurka. and ugly english john bulls should aswell.

seriously though, the law in this country is contrived enough as it is, and now this. its all going to go nuts in this country in a couple of years. it'll make the balkans look like a lover's tiff.

[shaheediyan]

"The very fact that these (and other courts...) exist only shows that there is a will among some of the British elite to get rid of Britain's Christian roots."

I definately agree with this - this has been going on undercover for a long time. Elements of Government always introduces stupid PC laws, particularly to do with not celebrating Christianity in any way shape or form in the work place/school, they then cite the reason as 'non-Christians get offended'. I have never come across one non-Christian person who has a problem with Christian celebrations - except hardcore atheists - who ironically happen to me none other than the policy setters themselves!

[Mithar]

This will create a nation within a nation. This move will marginalise the Muslims even more. As long as the law of the land is not violating your human rights, I do not see a need to create another set of laws within that same nation. Sharia is much more harsh than the law in the western countries. If Muslims want to follow this law, let them as long as they dont impose Sharia on the non Muslims.

[shaheediyan]

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[Weedol]

It's called a parallel system of law but I think that's a bit sensationalist. If it depends on the consent of both parties in a civil case to submit to the decision of an Islamic tribunal, it can't be a dual system of law as such but rather a variation of mediation or arbitration in which the regulatory endowments are modeled loosely around sharia. From the perspective of Islamic law it's illegal (there is no 'choice' or 'consent' where sharia law applies under an Islamic ruler), and from the perspective of English constitutional jurisprudence it seems to offend against the principle of the rule of law. There is only the rule of law if the law is the same for all citizens.