UK Muslims ‘not ready for sharia courts’
SHARIA courts have no place in the British legal system because the Muslim community is not advanced enough, a Government minister says.
The comments by the new minister for race relations Sadiq Khan carry particular weight because he is a Muslim.[>
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He also warns that the growing number of tribunals based on Islamic codes could “entrench discrimination against women”.[>
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Mr Khan makes clear he is not minded to follow controversial calls by Lord Chief Justice Lord Phillips and Archbishop of Canterbury Rowan Williams to accept sharia law in Britain. He does not rule out that the Muslim community in Britain would one day be “advanced enough” to have its own courts.[>
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“But now is not the right time,” he said.[>
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Supporters of sharia courts in Britain say they can be justified because of Jewish community courts in the UK that resolve family disputes.[>
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Mr Khan admits he has seen good examples of Jewish courts. But he says sharia does not have the level of sophistication that there is in Jewish law “which has a long history”.[>
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He said: “There are not the same areas of concern that there are with sharia law.”[>
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Mass immigration by Asian Muslims started 30 years ago, he points out, but Jewish migration had a 500-year history.[>
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He adds that calls for separate courts sent the wrong message at a time when he was urging all to “learn English, get involved in your community”.[>
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Mr Khan has made outspoken comments about the Muslim community before. He recently urged British Muslims to drop their “victim mentality” and take responsibility for their own lives.[>
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He also called on public bodies to reduce translation services so that immigrants would be encouraged to learn English.[>
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Mr Khan called for an increase in benefits for immigrants with larger families but also warned that ethnic tensions could be fuelled by the economic downturn.[>
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His latest views came as Dr Williams joined Christian and Muslim scholars for the start of a conference at Cambridge University aimed at promoting understanding between the two faiths.[>
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Dr Williams was heavily criticised earlier this year after suggesting that the adoption of some aspects of sharia law in the UK seemed “unavoidable”.[>
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Conservative Shadow Minister for Community Cohesion and Social Action Baroness Warsi, who is also a Muslim, said yesterday: “We are pleased that the Government have come round and that they now acknowledge and accept our view.[>
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“As we have said in the past, everyone in Britain must be subject to the same laws, rights and protections. Therefore, any binding decision in Britain must be decided by British courts.”[>
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At the Conservatives’ recent party conference, Shadow Home Secretary Dominic Grieve pledged a Tory Government would ensure oppressive sharia courts would not become legal in Britain.[>
