Looneywatch Part 4 - My Family...
I can't believe my eyes, after reading this:
Muslim leaders have urged Ruth Kelly, the Secretary of State for Communities, to support Islamic family law in Britain to stop youths joining Islamic extremists...
Dr Syed Aziz Pasha, secretary general of the Union of Muslim Organisations of the UK and Ireland, said he had asked for holidays to mark Muslim festivals and Islamic laws to cover family affairs which would apply only to Muslims.
Dr Pasha said he was not seeking sharia law for criminal offences but he said Muslim communities in Britain should be able to operate Islamic codes for marriage and family life. "In Scotland, they have a separate law. It doesn't mean they are not part of the UK. We are asking for Islamic law which covers marriage and family life. We are willing to co-operate but there should be a partnership. They should understand our problems then we will understand their problems."
I have no idea how important or influential the Union of Muslim Organisations or Dr Syed Aziz Parsha is. The good doctor, however, is well-respected enough to be given a lifetime services award. There are many reasons to be seriously concerned that people have even started suggesting this. Can you imagine if some English ex-pats (or even second or third generation Englishmen) living in Saudi Arabia called for the introduction of "English law" only applicable to the English. Such as all-night drinking, the right of women to wear bikinis etc etc. They would have their limbs amputated before you could say "tolerance".
Secondly, how would this help the Muslims in Britain anyway? There ought to be MORE cultural assimilation with Brits and Muslims, not less. Would this not lead to more racist attacks on Muslims, as well as more votes for the BNP. Both are horrific in their differing ways.
It is also difficult to see how this would placate extremists. Surely they want the whole country under Sharia law, not just Muslims. Surely the best way to curb extremism would be to put THE WHOLE COUNTRY under Sharia law NOW, so that terrorists won't blow themselves up here anymore. Then again, maybe we shouldn't, because from what I've seen, much of Sharia law is abhorrent to the good old principles of freedom of speech and freedom of expression.
Say Sharia law relating to the family was introduced. Would it include chestnuts like this?
Getting a quickie divorce has taken on a whole new meaning in Malaysia after it was decided that a man can divorce his wife with a text message.
The government's adviser on religious affairs, the man who counsels Malaysia's Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad, said as long as the message was clear and unambiguous it was valid under Islamic Sharia law.
Is there any upside to this proposal at all? Have I got the wrong end of the stick? I'd quite like to know...
-posted by Roy
