RELIGIOUS INTELLIGENCE: Five Islamic courts have taken advantage of a clause in British legislation to officially apply Sharia law to British citizens, but despite sensationalist reports last week, they have been doing so since August 2007.
Under the headline “Revealed: UK’s first official Sharia courts” the Sunday Times published an article sparking a storm of controversy similar to that for which the newspaper carried condemnation of the Archbishop of Canterbury, Dr Rowan Williams, in February.
The article by Abul Taher read: “Islamic law has been officially adopted in Britain, with Sharia courts given powers to rule on Muslim civil cases. The government has quietly sanctioned the powers for Sharia judges to rule on cases ranging from divorce and financial disputes to those involving domestic violence.”
In a joint statement the Ministry of Justice and Department for Business, Enterprise & Regulatory Reform said: “Sharia law is not part of the law of England and Wales and the Government has no intention of making any change that would conflict with British laws and values.”
The Muslim Arbitration Tribunal is one of many organizations running Islamic courts, and operate under a clause in the Arbitration Act 1996 which allows the rulings of the courts to be legally binding for people who have agreed to submit to its power. This is true for Muslims and non-Muslims alike.
A Government spokesperson said the situation had been misrepresented in the press. “The arbitration law goes back to the 1850s. This is nothing new. Anyone can use it.”
Raried Chedei, a clerk with the Muslim Arbitration Tribunal, also expressed surprise at the furore: “Nothing’s changed. I don’t understand why people think we are using the law any differently.” UK Government Says No Change on Sharia Law >>> By Toby Cohen | September 21, 2008
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