The news that a Ministry of Justice attempt to research the working of Sharia law in the UK has failed because those responsible for the ‘courts’ would not co-operate is disappointing. But it is perhaps hardly surprising if Sharia councillors are a little wary of having their activities probed too deeply. In recent months, plenty of disturbing evidence has come to light, often from Muslim women themselves, regarding how Sharia courts deny British Muslim women their basic rights as UK citizens.
What is also depressingly predictable is that the Ministry of Justice appears to have very little stomach for doing anything about the issue. Taking it upon itself almost to act as the apologist for the Sharia administrators, the MoJ explained that “the councils are generally run on a volunteer basis, were short staffed and very busy, so there were practical difficulties in speaking with respondents”. So that’s all right then.
Leaving aside the question of how, if they are so poorly resourced, Sharia courts can possibly deliver equitable justice on complex issues, I do wonder if, say, a small business failed to file its tax return on the basis that they were ‘short staffed’, or simply couldn’t be bothered, they would be treated with similar compassion by HM Revenue & Customs. Probably not.
More pertinent, as the MoJ helpfully added, was the fact that “ respondents were wary of the stereotypical ways in which their organizations were represented in the media.” Well, if Sharia courts really are as appropriate as their supporters would have us believe, they’ve missed a golden opportunity set the record straight, have they not?
No comments:
Post a Comment