Courts "Islamic Law," The British In The Eye Of The

More than 30 years ago and the courts of law, which applies Islamic verdicts are working quietly all over Britain. But the two investigations official Highlight on these courts facing charges of discrimination against women.

Little is known about these courts do not even know their numbers estimated as a study by the University of Reading, that's 30, while the British say "Civitas" intellectual institution that number 85 court.

And decide Sharia courts or councils also prefer to be called, in divorce cases among Muslims. These things represent 90% of all cases heard by the courts.

It can be these councils are a group of Muslim clerics attached to the mosque, or non-official organizations or even the imam of a mosque.




But despite that the goal of these courts is helping to solve family disputes and sometimes trade between Muslims, but it accuses of undermining women's rights.

It speaks Critics of the courts for cases in which the granting of divorce for women victims of taunting refused, and accused her of legislation of violence, including marital rape.

Government members and deputies and opened in the Commission's internal affairs investigations in Parliament this year to ascertain whether these courts comply with British law.

These courts examine the function of these councils and whether discriminatory practices against women.

- "The rise of the Islamic movement" -

The first law of the Islamic court in London year she appeared in 1982 under the government of Margaret Thatcher, which reduced the intervention of the state in many areas, including intervention in family disputes and entrusted this task to religious groups.

But the religious courts existed for hundreds of years in Britain, both in the Catholic Church or the Jewish community, according to the Secretary Alstoana lecturer in law at the University of Lancaster.


As is the case in the law courts, the decisions of these bodies are not legally binding, but they represent a constraint morally and socially strong for those who resort to this Alhiaat, according to Alstoana wrote in a report to the parliamentary committee investigation.

She said Shaista essence of the President, "a network of Muslim women in Britain" in her testimony in a parliamentary investigation that "courts of law" useful for Muslims but must be placed in the context of a "strong law".

The government also called for making civil marriage compulsory for those who marry according to Islamic law, so as to ensure that women have access to legal protection.

She said that 40% of women who call the organization only married according to Islamic law and not in front of the British civil order.

But women's rights advocates postulates that the courts considered a "parallel legal system" and should be banned completely.

There were more than 200 local women's organization and the international message supports this view, as put forward in the British House of Lords member of a law restricting the field of action, "the law courts."

Said Mariam Namazi spokeswoman for the campaign, "one law for all", told AFP that these courts "discriminatory and sometimes abusive, and supports and initiate violence."

"This is linked to the rise of the Islamic courts movement. Now, it says if you want to be a good Muslim you have to go to the courts to get a divorce. This is not true."

The political outstanding Swiss important inhibitor author of the book "Women and Islamic law" and that this phenomenon is studied over four years, that Islamist groups were the first to establish these councils.




She said the council is "working with the tacit approval" of the British political establishment.

She added that "there is a kind of hesitation by the British institutions to interfere with what it considers an internal affairs of the Muslims."

It remains to be seen whether the investigations will change the situation. But this is just the start of the investigation began to leave a mark.

Fmsadjad central London are now trying to organize these councils by putting them under one umbrella, a "British Council for Sharia courts", which currently has 15 members.