Britain Must Resist Sharia Law Warns Pakistan-Born Evangelical Bishop
by Ruth Gledhill, Christian Today:
A leading evangelical bishop has warned that a Government inquiry into Sharia law in Britain is “deeply flawed” and will fail.
Dr Michael Nazir-Ali, former Bishop of Rochester who now leads the Oxford centre for training, research and advocacy, warns that the review is wrong to emphasise how Sharia is applied.
Instdead, MPs should be investigating the nature and content of Sharia law itself.
In Britain, there is a “very long tradition” of people being equal under the law, says Nazir-Ali.
“The problem with Sharia is that it is inherently unequal for certain kinds of people. Muslims and non-Muslims are treated unequally. Similarly, men and women are treated unequally.”
The Home Affairs Committee is looking at how Sharia councils work in Britain, such as in resolving family and divorce disputes. The committee is also looking at how Sharia fits into the secular British legal system.
In his written evidence to the inquiry, Nazir-Ali warns: “If Sharia is recognised in anyway in terms of the public law, it will introduce a principle of contradiction in the body of the law, which will cause enormous problems.”
He says the review is deeply flawed because “the terms of reference disproportionately emphasise the application of Sharia law, as opposed to its nature and content.”
He also condemns the panel for failing to include a human rights lawyer and any non-Muslim experts on Islam.
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