Usama Hasan can talk about shari'a law being just fine when he's a woman for 10 years and has to live under it.

Beth Din Jewish "shari'a" is patently anti-female and robs women of the rights they have under the Constitution.

Shari'a law is the most vicious, brutal and misogynists legal code in history, and the ONLY rfeason anybody ever wants to institute it is so that Muslim men can rip away from Muslim women the rights the Constitution gives — and the minute the government stamps its imprimatur on it, the repression begins or worsens, and the local Muslim community becomes an even more separate and unintegrated no-go subculture in the society.

Well, no sale. Rights in this country may NOT be abrogated by religious laws. Beth Din is unconsitutional, as if every other "family law" (read: rip-off of women) forced through by churches, synagogues or mosques with cloud and a veil threat of violence if we don't knuckle under and let so-called religious men dictate the lives of their mothers, sisters, wives and daughters.

And no, it is most certainly NOT an hysterical response. It is a hot response born of a rage at watching Muslims try to wrench from the society every special privilege they think they can get, from the cabbies who won't carry seeing eye dogs to the Target check-out cashiers who won't ring up a package of pork.

Stop preaching to Americans, imam, about how "discriminated" (ha!) against you are.

Preach to the radicals overseas (and here) if you have the spine for it. They're the one who are destroying your religion.

You know the ones I mean: the ones who quote the Qur'an all the way to the next gendercide market bombing.

As of this morning, jihadists there have been 10,544 ATTACKS (not individual killed people, but attacks).

Last month alone there were 187 attacks in 18 countries against the peoples of 5 religions. Those attacks killed 829 and critically injured 1,378.

That's where your focus should be — not on trying to PR your way into forcing Americans to accept your forcing shari'a law onto Muslim women.

No. Shari'a law is 90% hadith and you know it, imam, and you also know that if the Prophet (pbuh) were alive today, he would have the heads of every one of you both for this despicable, abominable set of misogynist laws and your servile cowardice in refusing to face down the radicals. You appease them with every article of this kind that you write and every whining demand for more concessions that make.

And you have taken from me the passionate defense and enormous respect I had for Islam before 9/11. And it wasn't the attacks that did it. It was you, and people like you, who run this infuriating number.

Now, don a headscarf and see if you like it. Have your own marriage arranged by your father, and then let somebody tell YOU that your life is worth a LEG when the other gender's is worth a death sentence for your killer.

NO TO SHARIA!!!

The Archbishop is off his trolley. I enjoy a Scotch or two, but I do not see the law in Saudi Arabia or Iran changing to "accommodate" my way of life. Those who come to live here have a clear choice. Live by our laws or go to another country where the law suits you. If the Imam and others like him are so keen on Sharia law then they should go and live in a country where it is practised.

The Beth Din specifically requested the legal authority to force a man to grant a divorce rather than keep an estranged wife in limbo. in other words, it was the Beth Din who sought Parliament's support in crafting a liberal solution to the problem.

Whereas at issue is the Archbishop's call to legitimise an Islamic system that most find repressive and would not likely submit to government regulation. This at a time when extremist groups such as Hizb ut-Tahrir are pulling out all the stops to attain dominance of the mosques.

The comparison is off the mark and does a disservice to the Jewish community that presents none of the threats that Islamists pose. Thus the comparison achieves 1. The scapegoating of the Jewish community for those so disposed, quel surprise 2. The legitimacy of sharia barbarism for those so disposed and 3. A false slander against the Beth Din.

It is as inaccurate and unfair as comparing a polite Christian protest against Jerry Springer to an attempt on the life of an artist who depicts Mohammed. That kind of idiocy is precisely how the Archbishop makes his case.

The problem isn't with choosing to risk great punishments. Its the idea of using Sharia law to escape secular punishment that gripes people: different rules and sympathetic judges.

I'd say Sharia law is a great idea if you opt in and when it increases or equals any secular law punishment previously declared. Of course Sharia law would prosecute stuff not illegal under secular law and opting out after committing a crime would be an excommunication type option between you and Islam. But that is freedom of choice. And personally I think beheadings would save the public money.

The problem isn't with choosing to risk great punishments. Its the idea of using Sharia law to escape secular punishment that gripes people: different rules and sympathetic judges.

I'd say Sharia law is a great idea if you opt in and when it increases or equals any secular law punishment previously declared. Of course Sharia law would prosecute stuff not illegal under secular law and opting out after committing a crime would be an excommunication type option between you and Islam. But that is freedom of choice. And personally I think beheadings would save the public money.

Sharia is a choice, if people want to abide by it they can, if Muslims want to ask for this they should be given the chance. If it is incorporated into the British Law, it would be in regards to Muslims, the non-Muslims would not have to live by it, it would not be forced upon them.
Sharia does not make women inferior but if people were willing to listen to the ‘TRUE’ (not indoctrinating) version, they would find that women have a lot of rights as a Muslim; The comment on an arranged marriage, best to look up on that because that's culture NOT religion; Arranged marriages have worked , even some non-Muslims have them, via mutual friends, that's arranged as was the meeting that made them meet in the first place.
Those radicalised Muslims being talked about are a minority whatever you wish to believe, a few who do go onto the wrong path of Islam and interpret it in their own way and killing thousands of innocent victims. Majority of Muslims do not agree with this behaviour as it goes against their beliefs and Islam.
If Muslims in this country were asked whether they wanted Sharia here or not, you would then get the opinion of the Muslims in this country and not just assume every Muslim does or does not want it, as each individual is different. Muslims do want to incorporate themselves into the society we live in today and not be alienated. They get to practice their faith in this country and that is respected and appreciated. Only the views of the ‘important’ Muslims are publicised but for a hot topic like this, to get a majority opinion on Sharia from the Muslims would be better.

Muhammad (pbuh) came to a nation where tribal conflict was almost a daily
occurrence, where baby girls were buried alive, where the poor and needy
were oppressed and might was right. In a period of 23 years he transformed
a whole society deeply steeped into social, moral and spiritual deprivation
into to one of prosperity, equality and justice.

His message was clear and universal, one of human brotherhood and the unity
of God. He taught one to love his neighbours, to feed the poor and hungry
and to enjoin what is good and forbid that which is wrong.

The world-famous playwright George Bernard Shaw (1856-1950) stated;

"If any religion had the chance of ruling over England, nay Europe within
the next hundred years, it could be Islam."

I think Archbishop also has a vision that within the next hudred years,
majority of Brits would be reverted to Islam. When Britain is populated by
Muslims than there will be no alternative left for the Muslim majority
parliament to introduce Sharia Law in its totallity.

In Malaysia, Sharia courts work along with national legal system, which is
based in British law.

Today Muslim's are an integrated part of Europe and number over 20 million.
Muslim's are supposed to be the inheritors of the light of Muhammad so let
the Muslims of Europe take serious responsibility to share the good values
and ethics of Islam to the rest of Europe for a better tomorrow.

Iftikhar

T writes;
“Sharia is a choice, if people want to abide by it they can,”

In primarily Islamic countries around the world Sharia is law there is no choice what so ever.

T writes;
“If it is incorporated into the British Law, it would be in regards to Muslims, the non-Muslims would not have to live by it, it would not be forced upon them.”

Again in Islamic countries there is no us and them, Sharia is the law ask non Muslim girls in Malaysia if they can refuse not to wear the Islamic head covering when going to school. I won’t even bother mentioning Saudi Arabia or Iran.

T writes;
“Sharia does not make women inferior”

Under Sharia law a woman is worth 1/3 of a man, she is oppressed and if divorced by her husband will lose her children. Also under Sharia Law a women who has been raped has to find 4 men to say she was raped. If not, she will be found guilty of adultery.

Look, either you think your freedom is something worth fighting for, or you don't. Either you think that human rights is a pretty nice thing, or you don't give a **** and are fine with being ruled by a 7th-century code (shari'a) that MOSTLY has nothing to do with what Muhammad preached.

And either you think women have God-given equal rights, or you think men, by virtue of anatomy, are superior and should rule over women.

Be careful what you squander in the name of multiculturalism (which translates in this case to sucking up to men ONLY), because once it's lost in Britain now you have NOWHERE TO GO.

There is no America to flee to when the religious police force your women into over and start lopping off your hands for minor offenses or stoning you women on trumped up charges of zina. There is no place to go when church bells become "offensive" or the authos of cartoons or editorials are given the death sentence by fanatics who think they have a right to extra-judicial punishment.

You are about to throw away your culture, and you need to get a grip REAL FAST.

And note this, Brits. Part of the Muslim affection for control of women is based on tribal mores that declares a woman's reproductive faculties as an *asset* of the tribe, a tool and weapon with which to out-produce you so they can claim a majority.

You've got about 20 years (if that). Use it wisely to really disconnect religion from your civil rights.

If shari'a is just the cat's meow, why are most Muslim women **** as hell at the Archbishop of Canterbury??

Also, you need to ban hijab.

Allah did not screw up when He made women, despite what the average Muslim male self-worshipper will tell you.

Iftikhar,

Thanks for unintentionally elucidating what is wrong with the Archbishop's stance.

T,UK. The law in this country is impartial because we all stand equally before it. The only basic choice is abide by it, or fall foul of it. If you want Sharia law, then go to a country where it applies. That's the REAL choice.

"There is no America to flee to when the religious police force your women into over and start lopping off your hands for minor offenses "

Whay the hell would we want to flee to America? At least in the UK we respect non-Christian faiths.

"Muslims do want to incorporate themselves into the society we live in today and not be alienated. They get to practice their faith in this country and that is respected and appreciated"; I am happy living in this country as are others. Never said I wanted Sharia in this country, and "If Muslims in this country were asked whether they wanted Sharia here or not, you would then get the opinion of the Muslims in this country and not just assume every Muslim does or does not want it, as each individual is different" and the answer may probably be majority would not want the Sharia Law in UK.

I should have said 'Islam does not make women inferior' not Sharia, I apologise

What is the situation in Turkey, I think there are 99% muslims?
I don't know, but I've been there and people seem happily integrated and I sensed less of a fear of crime. Now, do thay have Sharia law or have they cracked it in relation to the way the law operates?
Also,will Sharia law operate with our own law against the terrorists and investigate their backgrounds perhaps better than we can- in other words, are they with us or are they with the terrorists?? If they are with the terrorists then our country is in a real pickle!!

Mimi of Lynn., Ma:
You have hit the nail on the head.

It sometimes takes someone with an outside perspective such as yourself to show what is truly going on in our country.