Archbishop Of Canterbury: “Sharia Law In England Is Unavoidable”
The Archbishop, on the left
BBC:
Dr Rowan Williams told Radio 4’s World at One that the UK has to “face up to the fact” that some of its citizens do not relate to the British legal system.
Dr Williams argues that adopting parts of Islamic Sharia law would help maintain social cohesion.
For example, Muslims could choose to have marital disputes or financial matters dealt with in a Sharia court.
He says Muslims should not have to choose between “the stark alternatives of cultural loyalty or state loyalty”.
‘Sensational reporting’
In an exclusive interview with BBC correspondent Christopher Landau, ahead of a lecture to lawyers in London on Monday, Dr Williams argues this relies on Sharia law being better understood.
At the moment, he says “sensational reporting of opinion polls” clouds the issue.
He stresses that “nobody in their right mind would want to see in this country the kind of inhumanity that’s sometimes been associated with the practice of the law in some Islamic states; the extreme punishments, the attitudes to women as well”.
But Dr Williams said an approach to law which simply said “there’s one law for everybody and that’s all there is to be said, and anything else that commands your loyalty or allegiance is completely irrelevant in the processes of the courts - I think that’s a bit of a danger”.
“There’s a place for finding what would be a constructive accommodation with some aspects of Muslim law, as we already do with some other aspects of religious law.”
‘Other loyalties’
Dr Williams added: “What we don’t want either, is I think, a stand-off, where the law squares up to people’s religious consciences.”
“We don’t either want a situation where, because there’s no way of legally monitoring what communities do… people do what they like in private in such a way that that becomes another way of intensifying oppression inside a community.”
The issue of whether Catholic adoption agencies would be forced to accept gay parents under equality laws showed the potential for legal confusion, he said.
“That principle that there is only one law for everybody is an important pillar of our social identity as a western democracy,” he said.
“But I think it is a misunderstanding to suppose that means people don’t have other affiliations, other loyalties which shape and dictate how they behave in society and that the law needs to take some account of that.”
‘Custom and community’
Dr Williams noted that Orthodox Jewish courts already operated, and that the law accommodated the anti-abortion views of some Christians.
“The whole idea that there are perfectly proper ways the law of the land pays respect to custom and community, that’s already there,” he said.
People may legally devise their own way to settle a dispute in front of an agreed third party as long as both sides agree to the process.
Muslim Sharia courts and the Jewish Beth Din which already exist in the UK come into this category.
The country’s main Beth Din at Finchley in north London oversees a wide range of cases including divorce settlements, contractual rows between traders and tenancy disputes.
Dr Williams’ comments are likely to fuel the debate over multiculturalism in the UK.
Last month, the Bishop of Rochester, the Right Reverend Dr Michael Nazir-Ali, said some places in the UK were no-go areas for non-Muslims.
Dr Williams said it was “not at all the case that we have absolute social exclusion”.
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This man is a good tool isn’t he?
“If you love wealth more than liberty, the tranquility of servitude better than the animating contest of freedom, depart from us in peace. We ask not your counsel nor your arms. Crouch down and lick the hand that feeds you. May your chains rest lightly upon you and may posterity forget that you were our [friends].”
February 7th, 2008 at 2:01 pm- Samuel Adams
Oh … you poor, poor limeys.
“You still don’t understand what you’re dealing with, do you? Perfect organism. Its structural perfection is matched only by its hostility … A survivor … unclouded by conscience, remorse, or delusions of morality … Last word … I can’t lie to you about your chances, but … you have my sympathies.”
February 7th, 2008 at 2:02 pmUnfucking believable. I think the Episcopalian Church should break away from Canterbury, and just concentrate on America.
February 7th, 2008 at 2:06 pmWhat a fucking stupid bastard.
February 7th, 2008 at 2:08 pmaaah merry old england and not a clit to be found
February 7th, 2008 at 2:12 pmThe decline and fall of English/Britsh Civilization.
February 7th, 2008 at 2:21 pmthe british empire continues to shrink,,,
February 7th, 2008 at 2:23 pmThe Brits should remember Neville Chamberlain (OH but 3 out of 4 Brits don’t know who Churchill was) and the last time the UK attempted to appease a tyrant named Adolf Hitler by signing the Munich Agreement. At least this time they will be trading away their own way of life and their own soil.
February 7th, 2008 at 2:23 pmJust incredible.
February 7th, 2008 at 2:25 pmOh, and anyone else think that “Dr. Williams” resembles Karl Marx? It’s all starting to make sense now.
February 7th, 2008 at 2:36 pmBeware the wolf in sheep’s clothing. Or in this case a wolf in the vestments of Christianity.
February 7th, 2008 at 2:52 pmThe perfect quote (Ash from Alien) drillanwr and it is spot on as it describes the fruit of Islam. So often I find myself wondering how or why people are afraid to call a spade a spade as it relates to this infestation of Islam and the discord it has always sown. It truly makes me sad for the world today’s young people will inherit because of the lack of moral conscience and fiber some of our leaders possess. Appeasement is not an option with this enemy.
February 7th, 2008 at 3:17 pmWhats not perfectly clear to me is whether he thinks sharia courts should actually have the force of law behind them. The Jewish beth din operates only by convention, it adjudicates or mediates Jewish law, but Jews still have recourse to civil courts. Sure have your sharia courts and beth din but they cannot have binding force of law. sure call it what you want but at the end of the day it is just Alternative Dispute Resolution, people of all faiths and ethnicities do it all the time we just don’t dress it up in freaky deaky Islamic trappings.
February 7th, 2008 at 3:46 pm@Reign in Blood
“Beware the wolf in sheep’s clothing. Or in this case a wolf in the vestments of Christianity.”
Exactly.
The only thing ANY country should be doing now is telling the Islamists: Follow our laws as they are written in our country or get the fook out. Done.
February 7th, 2008 at 4:27 pmJust so long as we make sure that that shit doesn’t slip in over here after years and years of litigation and cultural attacks.
They like to use our own system against us and this is a perfect example. Like Mitt said earlier… they will nibble away a little at a time.
Be Vigilant!
February 7th, 2008 at 4:38 pmThis guy is nothing but a problem and an appeaser in a cloak. I remember him from before:
https://pat-dollard.com/2007/11/archbishop-of-canterbury-trashes-america-in-muslim-magazine/
The tool’s web site:
http://www.archbishopofcanterbury.org/1
February 7th, 2008 at 4:40 pmOne of my online England buddies reaction to my asking him his thoughts about the story:
“Ahhh.. please don’t remind me!!
Now you know why so many of us can’t wait to get out of a former pretty decent country!
I just hope before I get to the States another Clinton doesn’t do irrevocable damage to America.”
February 7th, 2008 at 5:00 pmHonour killing is also an Islamic tradition condoned and rarely punished under shariah law; will the Brits accept that as well?
February 7th, 2008 at 5:08 pmDittos on that. My euro gaming buddies have nothing good to say about the Muslims and say shit is going to come to a head sooner or later.
February 7th, 2008 at 5:18 pmWAKE UP!!! The Scimitar is at your fucking throat, what else do you need to open your eyes?!
Brian
February 7th, 2008 at 7:15 pmKampfgruppe Cottrell -
The Scimitar … Britain’s new “razor” … for the “closest” shave yet!
February 7th, 2008 at 7:30 pm
The Archbishop is turning into the Archenemy of the British people. He is a sad joke of a Christian leader.
February 7th, 2008 at 8:14 pmThis clown is the ultimate toy soldier in Lenin’s set of useful idiots.
Didn’t he recently change his name to Judas Williams…
February 7th, 2008 at 8:48 pmThat guy is retarded!!!!!!! Farewell to the Brits, I guess France should be our new BFF!
February 7th, 2008 at 10:57 pmThe Muslims do not come for a better life and opportunity to become part of your country, They come with the objective to turn it into the shithole they came from.
Stupid asses and stupid stupid fools who let them in and lose their country.
February 8th, 2008 at 5:10 amI have no pity for anyone, any country, any system that does not value what they have and allow themselves to be swallowed up by hell on earth which is Islam.
So who actually read the article? Anyone out of you chipping in?
February 8th, 2008 at 5:14 amRather than just using it as fodder for your own pessimistic
preconceptions why don’t you stop being so lazy. The archbishop
is not part of the legal system - his suggestion was “slapped down”
as one article put it, by the PM. The archbishop is on the
fringe and his ideas have not been taken seriously. In fact the
effect he’s hoped for has been the opposite.
“Muslims should not have to choose between “the stark alternatives of cultural loyalty or state loyalty”.”
February 8th, 2008 at 7:31 amActually, yes they should. That’s exactly the choice they’ve forced on themselves.
@article reader:
We read the article. We’re discussing the larger problem of Islamo-facism in England and Europe. Why? You got a problem with that?
February 8th, 2008 at 7:09 pm