Voluntary sharia law tribunal begins in Texas
Breitbart Texas confirmed Tuesday that “an Islamic Tribunal using Sharia law” is indeed operating in Texas. But not to worry: an attorney for the tribunal assures us that participation is “voluntary,” and one of the Sharia judges, Dr. Taher El-badawi, says it’s devoted only to “non-binding dispute resolution.”
This is how it starts. This is how it started in the United Kingdom. When Sharia courts were instituted there, Muslim and non-Muslim officials alike all assured the British public and the world that they would be voluntary, restricted to matters involving non-criminal matters, and subject to the British courts. Any areas in which British law and Sharia law conflicted would be referred not to the Sharia courts, but to the British courts.
That is not how it worked out. The Telegraph reported in August 2011 that “there are growing concerns” that the Sharia courts “are creating a parallel legal system — and one that is developing completely unchecked.” The Independent stated in April 2012 “some Sharia law bodies have been misrepresented by the media as being transparent, voluntary and operating in accordance with human rights and equality legislation. This is not the case. Many Sharia law bodies rule on a range of disputes from domestic violence to child residence all of which should be dealt with by UK courts of law.” Instead, “they operate within a misogynist and patriarchal framework which is incompatible with UK legislation.”
And in July 2013, the BBC (of all places) announced a video expose of the Sharia courts:
A BBC Panorama Documentary goes undercover in one of the 85 sharia courts operating as a parallel legal system in the UK, uncovering the extensive abuse of women, refusal to grant divorces, charging of the woman but not the man for divorce proceedings, and even the taking away of the woman’s children, and rulings contrary to British law.
Now this is coming to Texas. Sharia judge El-badawi said this about the Islamic divorces his tribunal would be dealing with: “While participation in the tribunal is voluntary, a married couple cannot be considered divorced by the Islamic community unless it is granted by the tribunal.” He readily owned up to how sexist the process is: “The husband can request the divorce directly from the tribunal. The wife must go to an Imam who will request the divorce for her.”
Update/Comment from Anonymous:
About that claim that Texas' shariah courts are simply "voluntary"...take a brief walk down the memory lane of shariah-creep in the UK:
Although not officially acknowledged in the UK in 2007, Sharia courts already operating in Britain in 2007
February 7, 2008, Archbishop of Canterbury, Rowan Williams:Sharia law in UK is “unavoidable” 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 some aspects of Sharia law would help maintain social cohesion.
It wasn't until early September 2008 that UK: first “official” sharia court finally open for business
One month later, Church of Scotland backs plans for sharia courts (10/10/2008)
Of course, political correctness kept any peeved and curious at bay...Britain’s sharia courts: “There is no outside monitoring, no protection, no records kept, no guarantee that justice will prevail.” (11/20/2008)
A couple of weeks later, in response to the controversy brewing over shariah courts in the UK, UK sharia courts not adopting Islamic law in its entirety — “We’re taking a bit of it, which is civil Islamic law” (Sept. 17, 2008)
By the end of June, 2009, 85 Sharia courts now operating in Britain
UKTelegraph: The concept of an “All-Party Parliamentary Committee on Islamophobia” was was hatched in late 2010
As shariah-creep increased it's pace and penetration of the UK justice system, questions by authorities began to meet resistance: Absurdity on steroids: Probe of Sharia courts in Britain ends because Muslims won’t cooperate (7/31/2011)
In March of 2014, Islamic law is adopted by British legal chiefs This is the first time that Sharia has become an element of British law.
By late 2014...New UK law would ban critics of Sharia from broadcasting, protesting or even posting messages on Facebook (10/31/2014)
BEWARE THAT SLIPPERY SLOPE!
Update/Comment from Anonymous:
About that claim that Texas' shariah courts are simply "voluntary"...take a brief walk down the memory lane of shariah-creep in the UK:
Although not officially acknowledged in the UK in 2007, Sharia courts already operating in Britain in 2007
February 7, 2008, Archbishop of Canterbury, Rowan Williams:Sharia law in UK is “unavoidable” 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 some aspects of Sharia law would help maintain social cohesion.
It wasn't until early September 2008 that UK: first “official” sharia court finally open for business
One month later, Church of Scotland backs plans for sharia courts (10/10/2008)
Of course, political correctness kept any peeved and curious at bay...Britain’s sharia courts: “There is no outside monitoring, no protection, no records kept, no guarantee that justice will prevail.” (11/20/2008)
A couple of weeks later, in response to the controversy brewing over shariah courts in the UK, UK sharia courts not adopting Islamic law in its entirety — “We’re taking a bit of it, which is civil Islamic law” (Sept. 17, 2008)
By the end of June, 2009, 85 Sharia courts now operating in Britain
UKTelegraph: The concept of an “All-Party Parliamentary Committee on Islamophobia” was was hatched in late 2010
As shariah-creep increased it's pace and penetration of the UK justice system, questions by authorities began to meet resistance: Absurdity on steroids: Probe of Sharia courts in Britain ends because Muslims won’t cooperate (7/31/2011)
In March of 2014, Islamic law is adopted by British legal chiefs This is the first time that Sharia has become an element of British law.
By late 2014...New UK law would ban critics of Sharia from broadcasting, protesting or even posting messages on Facebook (10/31/2014)
BEWARE THAT SLIPPERY SLOPE!
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