A debate at Press TV londonBroadcast on 26 February 2008.
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The Forum - Sharia controversy: justified fear or media circus?
Host: Phil Rees
Panelists:
The Reverend Stephen Coles, is a member of the General Synod of the Church of England and Vicar of St Thomas', Finsbury Park, London
Dr Daud Abdullah is deputy secretary general of the Muslim Council of Britain
Alex Deane, member of Church of England. He is the author of 'The Great Abdication: Why Britain's Decline of the Middle Class' and is former Chief of Staff to leader of the Conservative Party David Cameron MP.
Mohammad Saeed Bahmanpour, raised in Iran, studied at Queen Mary College London, the London School of Economics and the Allameh Tabatabai University in Tehran and most recently a lecturer at the Islamic College for Advanced Studies in London. His latest book, Muslim Identity in the 21st Century, was published in London in 2001.
Preview:
This week Forum was discussing sharia law in the UK. A lecture to lawyers by the chief religious leader of the Church of England, Archbishop of Canterbury Rowan Williams, earlier this month, has sparked off serious attacks against him in the media with headlines including 'Bash the Bishop.' Commentators from both from the political right and left both criticised him, some calling for his resignation, whilst colleagues in his Church have questioned his judgement. The subject at the centre of the row is sharia law in the UK, with Williams questioning whether British law should legally recognise aspects of religious law.
Political leaders Gordon Brown, David Cameron and Nick Clegg all disagree fearing the universal value of equality before the law in the UK would be undermined by the introduction of parallel foreign laws. Fears also of the fragmenting of society have been stoked up by the recycling of an ICM poll in 2006 claiming 40% of Muslims would favour the introduction of sharia laws in the pre-dominantly Muslim areas. But few have asked exactly what is sharia and what parts of the legal system would be affected.
Can sharia like elements of other religious laws be formally practiced in the UK? Those sympathetic to sharia claim sharia courts have been operating in England for a number of years and Muslims are only seeking equality in the law with the likes of the Jewish and other communities.
Should we be more concerned with sharia or with the reporting behind it? And does this tell us about wider underlying attitudes towards Muslims behind the issue of the sharia law?
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