UK Muslim leaders demand Islamic law

Once again,  self-appointed Muslim 'community leaders' are using a terrorism scare to advance their own agendas.  During meetings with government ministers they have demanded Islamic laws to cover family affairs and public holidays to celebrate Islamic festivals.

Dr Syed Aziz Pasha, secretary general of the Union of Muslim Organisations of the UK and Ireland said:

In Scotland, they have a separate law. It doesn't mean they are not part of the UK. We are asking for Islamic law which covers marriage and family life.

At first, this looks like a false analogy. Scotland has territorial boundaries and within them, everyone lives under Scottish law.  In England, Scottish people live under English law.  But perhaps Dr Pasha's demands are territorial after all.  The call for Islamic family law is a transitional demand,  one that will weaken the state and strengthen the case for full Sharia Law to be applied in Muslims communities.  In the longer term, this could become a territorial demand as it would establish the principle of Islamic rule in certain Muslim areas. 

Dr Pasha claims that Islamic family law would help the Muslim community to control its extremist youth, although he doesn't really explain how.  It's probably irrelevant anyway.  Muslim elders have failed to control militant youths so far and there is no reason to believe that Sharia Law or Muslim public holidays would make the job any easier.  These demands  are not about stopping terrorism,  they are an attempt to use the threat of terrorism to increase the power and influence of Muslim leaders.

If the government gives way to these demands it will just make matters worse.  Militant Muslims will realise that every threat of violence wrings another concession out of the weakened British state,  so they will turn the heat up a little more each time.

Rather than trying to appease the militants, the government should be sending out a strong message that, whatever happens, it will not let a small and unelected minority have undue influence over a democratic state.  There should be no Muslim public holidays,  no state funding for Muslim schools and all dialogue with so-called community leaders should cease.  Muslims must be given a clear message. If they want to influence government policy,  they should get themselves elected to Parliament and try to persuade the wider public to their point of view through legitimate campaigning.  In other words,  they should behave like other interest groups in British society, instead of trying to set up little "Islamistans" in our towns and cities.

Update:  DFH has a similar take.

Comments

[chris]

Exactly what is needed is the breakup of the Islamic colonies, not their being given special legal status.

[henry gurwood]

No, Chris: what is needed is to put the cheeky twat and all his friends and family on the first plane out of the country. No need for the authorities to be, shall we say 'overzealous', about checking people's hand luggage on that flight, either.

Same goes for all the others like him.

England - Love It Or Leave It!

[Dave]

Immigration is when you move into a new country to become part of that nation.

Invasion is when you move into another country and try to force them to change to live according to your rules.

We have been invaded.

[G. Tingey]

ONE LAW FOR ALL THE PEOPLE

NO EXCEPTIONS

Don't like it?

Then you have two choices:
Get out.
Go to jail, and stay there.

It was said in 1312, and applies to everyone, still ...
BEGIN QUOTE:::

+ (39) No free man shall be seized or imprisoned, or stripped of his rights or possessions, or outlawed or exiled, or deprived of his standing in any other way, nor will we proceed with force against him, or send others to do so, except by the lawful judgement of his equals or by the law of the land.

+ (40) To no one will we sell, to no one deny or delay right or justice.

ENDQUOTE :::

[Irene Adler]

Islamic family law means polygamy. That means four cousin-brides imported from Bangladesh or Pakistan instead of one under "family reunification". That means demographic swamping in a very short time of Britain and the complete destruction of your culture and country. The leaders of the West are idiots.

[Ergotelina]

But why Yvonne Ridley
is so sure?...

:)