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Muslims in Britain should be able to live under Sharia law

telegraph.co.uk — Lord Phillips of Worth Matravers, the Lord Chief Justice, strongly backed Rowan Williams, the Archbishop of Canterbury, over his suggestion earlier this year that aspects of Sharia law should be adopted in Britain. Muslim and Christian politicians expressed fears that at a time of heightened tensions, encouraging Muslims to live by their own

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petsheep 99 days ago

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petsheep, on 07/03/2008, -0/+21"Muslim and Christian politicians expressed fears that at a time of heightened tensions, encouraging Muslims to live by their own distinct rules could make it harder for different communities to integrate...."We should have one law for everyone in the UK, but there may be very rare occasions when exceptions have to be made, like for marriage, divorce and food." said Lord Ahmed, a Labour peer and practicing Muslim. (from the article)
Phrostee, on 07/03/2008, -8/+4http://www.whatthewestneedstoknow.com/
- MacEnvy, on 07/03/2008, -2/+9That's a really, truly, stupid movie. You could look at the Old Testament and say most of the same things about Christianity.
  
  That said, I think everyone should follow the same laws within a country, and if they don't like it, they should either work within the system to change the laws for *everyone* or leave. Those are the only two choices unless you want to set up tribal sovereign areas like we did here in the US. You can't have one population living under two rules of law.
triad203, on 07/03/2008, -1/+18Uh, no.
prompel, on 07/03/2008, -7/+19***** the muslims in Britain. With a pig! Or the Archbishop of Canterbury, which is much the same thing. If they don't like the laws of the United Kingdom, they should get the hell out of there!

Like the bloody muslims want integration, anyway.

You bring on the sharia laws, I bring out my gun.
- dkapuchino, on 07/04/2008, -5/+2Most of my friends here on digg have dugg up this article. None of them dugg up your comment. I'll bury it.
  Your comment is plain racism.
  - DanThePainter, on 07/04/2008, -0/+6It is far from tolerant. It is not very polite. But it cannot be called racist for the plain reason that Islam is not a race. Muslims count many races and ethnic groups among their number.
- quaxon, on 07/04/2008, -1/+2I agree, if these religious nuts want to live under sharia law then it makes no sense as to why they have immigrated to the UK from their countries of origin. And before you call me racist i am an Iranian whos family fled after the revolution once the religious idiots took over. I also think the same about american christians who want to live under biblical law (to me they are just as bad as the muslims and jews). ***** all religion pretty much.
lucy22, on 07/03/2008, -1/+27Religion should be kept out of the state, I think. It gets too confusing with all the different religions asking for rights. It is better to keep religion and state affairs separate. Everyone gets along then, and no one gets special treatment.
WordsnCollision, on 07/03/2008, -0/+22And when a Muslim marries a non-Muslim? And then wants to divorce?
- buberfan, on 07/04/2008, -8/+3No problem! What is being proposed is a voluntary code, not binding on non Muslims. The law already recognizes religious wedding for Christians and Jews. It recognizes Muslim weddings (weddings under Sharia law) if two Brits go abroad and get married in a Muslim ceremony. What is being proposed is that Muslim religious weddings be recognized in the UK, but only if both parties agree. There is far too much fear-mongering going on around this subject.
Dralha, on 07/03/2008, -1/+15"The Sharia should be opposed for its imposition of theocracy over democracy, its abuse of human rights, its institutionalized discrimination, its denial of human dignity and individual autonomy, its punishment of alternative lifestyle choices, and for the severity of its punishments."

http://www.ntpi.org/html/whyoppose.html
EIderofzion, on 07/03/2008, -1/+15I was wondering if I could move to China with my 4 wives and 2 slaves, (as muslims do) and demand the 2 billion Chinamen to live under viking law?
- urik88, on 07/04/2008, -1/+6Mmmh excuse me, but I think that living under viking law would be epic. Literally.
- Idiggapony, on 07/04/2008, -1/+8Listen, you silly intolerant Islamophobic Bushy Fox News person:
  
  If you're a Muslim, then of course you can bring your four wives and you slaves to China, beat all six of them mercilessly, and slice off your own daughter's head one day if you catch her having a boyfriend. This is all permitted under Muslim law, and must be honored as a sacred religious tradition.
  
  But you cannot demand that all the Chinese people (1.3 billion of them) behave any differently! You can't insist on changing their way of life! Muslim law is only for consenting Muslims. Oh, and it's also for Muslim wives who didn't exactly consent to being beaten, but they're Muslims, so Muslim law applies to them too. And of course it's also for Muslim daughters who disgrace their families by having a boyfriend -- they'll obviously have to be killed, because they violated their family's sacred inalienable right to live a pure Muslim life. And Muslim law is also for non-Muslims who marry Muslims and agree to live the Muslim way. Oh and also it's for blind people who have seeing-eye dogs -- no more taxis for them! They'll just have to walk from now on. Suck it up! Also certain wine stores will have to close, if they're in neighborhoods where Muslims live. The owners will be fine, there are plenty of other jobs they can have.
  
  And yes, and also, all of the Chinese kids in the public school cafeterias won't be able to eat their pork dumplings any more, because the mere presence of pork in the cafeteria is too offensive to Muslims, even if they don't eat it. The Chinese kids will also have to attend mandatory assemblies where they try on your Muslim clothes and listen to presentations about how terrorism is really great. And the kids will no longer be able to have swimming lessons, because the idea of someone else's daughter wearing a revealing bathing suit bothers people who voluntarily choose to follow Muslim law. But no, nobody can demand that non-Muslims live according to Muslim law. It's voluntary.
  
  I don't know why you would bring up Viking law. Viking law is barbaric.
MisterWonderful, on 07/03/2008, -11/+5The stupidity here is astounding.
buberfan, on 07/04/2008, -7/+3Stop ***** your pants and actually go and read the article. Nobody is proposing that Sharia law becomes binding on non-Muslims, or that it replaces British criminal law for anyone - Muslim or not. British law already recognizes religious weddings for Christians and Jews, but not for Muslims (unless they marry abroad). One of the more sensible proposals is for British law to recognize Muslim weddings (but not to give Muslims in the UK the right to polygamy). Lord Phillips and Rowan Williams are looking for ways to help Muslims integrate. There should be no conflict between living as a Muslim and allegiance to British society and culture.
- millerftw, on 07/04/2008, -0/+2It would be child abuse to let Muslims raise their kids into sharia law *****.
bosssmiley, on 07/04/2008, -3/+1WTF? "The Times" quotes the same guy as saying exactly the opposite; that the existing law is, and should be, the law for everyone in England and Wales.

Get a straight answer out of a lawyer...
woodrow8292, on 07/04/2008, -0/+7The beginning of the end. It all starts out small, we'll just use it for financial transactions, then next thing you know it's oh we also need Sharia to settle this dispute then another reason and another pretty soon it's fully implemented. Then there goes the laws of your country. Then you have to deal with things being offensive like a puppy in an ad. People need to wake up before it's to late.
franklymister, on 07/04/2008, -0/+6What's the point of living in the UK if you just want to turn it into an Islamic state? Oh yeah, money. I think that's the definition of parasitic.
jcm267, on 07/04/2008, -1/+8As an American the thought of any church dictating the laws of the land are foreign to me, but Britain DOES have an official church and DOES allow religious codes of unofficial religions to be used to settle disputes that would be strictly legal and have nothing to do with church in my country. So I can totally see what this "lord" is saying and I cannot say that he is wrong. Having said that, I DO have a problem with the spread of this death cult in one of the West's great countries. But that has nothing to do with the issue here.

FTA:
Lord Phillips said that the archbishop was saying only that "it was possible for individuals voluntarily to conduct their lives in accordance with Sharia principles without this being in conflict with the rights guaranteed by our law".

There is already scope in English law for some communities to use their own religious codes to resolve disputes. Orthodox Jews can use the Beth Din rabbinical courts to decide on matters including divorce.
- quaxon, on 07/04/2008, -3/+3As an american you have shown your ignorance if you cant see the strong influence the church has on state law. Hell ever heard of the FCC? Faith based initiatives? Ban on gay marriage.
  - jcm267, on 07/04/2008, -3/+4The FCC? what about it?
    
    Faith Based Initiative? I'm in favor of it. Why aren't you?
    http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/White_House_Office_of ...
    
    Ban on gay marriage? That's the electorate's effect on government and not the government's effect on the electorate. Our government is becoming more and more secular and we do, in fact, have legal gay marriages in two states. This would've been unimaginable 50 years ago. Again, your point?
    
    The effects of church on the US government are minimal.
Humanfealty, on 07/04/2008, -3/+1The new Christianism has created a hostile environment for economical, regional and political matters on this flat world. The raging temperature of whitish nature is causing an uncomfortable degree of greediness for energy and power. The depressed world view is based on pessimism about war, world economy, food and fuel price are getting worse for developing nations. The big picture of global economy should be based on most populated countries and regions not Christianism. On the other side the soaring prices are not matters for Americans and European countries due to wealthiest people of earth. The main beneficiary of the foolish holy crusade is economy for G 8 and some European countries. The major loss of development will occur in Asia, South Asia, Mid East and African nations. It used to be said, That never talk about religion, race, politics and culture differences it is only for the whitish nature of Christianism to use it as an weapon to make fool of colorful humanity
worldpeace25, on 07/04/2008, -2/+0Please behalf with your comment, prompel. You actually don't understand what are you talking about. Muslim also like other religion, have their own faith and believe, so we have to understand each other (between this religion to other religion).
spongya77, on 07/04/2008, -0/+9Dunno. Despite of being a die-hard liberal, I have reservations about this whole thing. If you go to live to another country you should be willing to integrate into that culture. Yes, you can keep your traditions (to some extent... sacrificing virgins to the Vulcano God might not be a good idea in London), but you should be making it damn sure that you obey your new home's laws, and take up the customs that make you part of it. You should not be separating yourself, excluding yourself.
If they want to have their own laws it would escalate an already very bad situation. On one side you have the rampant racism and xenophobia, on the other you have the honor killings, the whole "let's not teach the crusades in school", and all. The Muslim population in Europe needs integration not separation.
If they want to live according to their laws, they should move to a country that has them. Tolerance is a great thing, that should be encouraged, but it has its limits: a minority cannot force its customs and laws to a majority.
On a sidenote, I would also be very surprised if these people would be OK with my girlfriend skinny dipping in Muslim countries. Tolerance, unfortunately, is not very much encouraged lately in many parts of the world. (And I don't mean exclusively Muslim countries...)
Idiggapony, on 07/04/2008, -0/+5Here's more of that "voluntary" sharia in the UK: Two non-Muslim schoolboys were given detention because they refused to kneel and simulate praying to Allah.

http://digg.com/world_news/UK_Schoolboys_punished_ ...
bernk1, on 07/07/2008, -0/+1If people want to regulate their CIVIL law matters in a way that is agreeable to them, the state should not interfere to the extent that their agreement does not conflict with state laws (i.e., criminal matters). If I and my wife sign a prenuptial agreement that any future divorce, and the things that go with divorce, such as spousal support and child support, will be adjudicated according to a Jewish Beit Din, rather than the civil courts, that's our business, the same as if a Catholic couple does not divorce, even though divorce is allowed in the society in which they live. The same principal applies as to businesses agreeing that any differences between them over terms of their contracts to deal with one another would be subject to binding arbitration rather than by a lawsuit in the civil courts.

Of course, if the private arrangement (such as Shaaria law governing divorce, or Jewish law governing divorce) conflicts with the state law, the state law should control.

This should be viewed as a matter of private individuals making agreements between themselves. Such agreements should be allowed to govern, up to the point that they conflict with society's laws.
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Muslims in Britain should be able to live under Sharia law

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