Sharia Gaining Ground In The UK

London, Nov. 29 (ANI): A BBC Radio 4 programme titled 'Law in Action' [click here to listen to the radio programme] has suggested that British Muslims are exhibiting a preference for referring their disputes to Sharia laws as an alternative to English criminal law to get justice.

According to the Daily Mail, the sharia is gaining an increasing foothold in parts of Britain because it is derived from several sources, including the Koran.

Though the Sharia has no binding status in Britain, the tendency to use it, is not being objected to by either Scotland Yard or the courts.

A spokesman for Scotland Yard said it is quite common for police not to proceed in assault cases if the victims decide not to press charges.

A recent stabbing incident involving a Somalian resulted in him seeking justice from the laws of his country of birth i.e. Somalia, which practices the Sharia, rather than the laws of Britain, his adopted country.

According to British Muslims, the Sharia's great strength is its effective penalties.

Lawyers have welcomed what they term as "legal pluralism".

Dr Prakash Shah, a senior lecturer in law at Queen Mary University of London, said such tribunals "could be more effective than the formal legal system".

In his book Islam in Britain, Patrick Sookhdeo, director of the Institute for the Study of Islam and Christianity, says "Sharia courts now operate in most larger cities, with different sectarian and ethnic groups operating their own courts that cater to their specific needs according to their traditions."

Faizul Aqtab Siddiqi, a barrister and principal of Hijaz College Islamic University, near Nuneaton, Warwicks, said this type of court had advantages for Muslims.

"It operates on a low budget, it operates on very small time scales and the process and the laws of evidence are far more lenient and it's less awesome an environment than the English courts," he says.

However, he predicts that there would be a formal network of Muslim courts within a decade. (ANI)
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