Many Britons reacted with alarm at a suggestion by the Church of EnglandÂ’s top cleric this month that the country could adopt aspects of the Islamic code. | 40 percent of the 1.6 million British Muslims said they would back the introduction of sharia law in majority Muslim areas. |
Canterbury Archbishop Rowan Williams has faced calls to resign, while political leaders distanced themselves from his controversial views, insisting that domestic law must take precedent. But by saying that incorporating parts of sharia law seemed “unavoidable” in certain circumstances, he shed light on the fact that Muslims here have long been turning to the Islamic code.
There are about a dozen sharia courts in Britain – although they have no formal legal status – and are mainly used to resolve non-criminal, and particularly family disputes. According to a February 2006 survey, 40 percent of the 1.6 million British Muslims said they would back the introduction of sharia law in majority Muslim areas. |