British laws are precious to Muslims
As President of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Association, Wolverhampton, I am disappointed with both the media and politicians' hysterical reaction to the Archbishop's comments regarding Sharia.
As President of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Association, Wolverhampton, I am disappointed with both the media and politicians' hysterical reaction to the Archbishop's comments regarding Sharia.
It is clear from his lecture that Dr Rowan Williams was not advocating implementation of the Islamic penal system in Britain, but was confining the application of Sharia to certain civil matters that would be in accordance with British law and consistent with established principles of justice and human rights.
However, by reacting to his remarks with typical anti-Muslim fervour, the Press saw another opportunity to portray Islam as the backward, bloodthirsty and barbaric tradition it most certainly is not.
Of course all faiths enshrine laws covering the beliefs and behaviour of its followers, including what they eat, and how they dress, which do not involve national law.
In Islam, Sharia itself is merely an interpretation of teachings contained in the Qur'an and the practice of the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) and by nature will differ from one school of thought to another.
Even in countries where Islam is the dominant religion, one observes a self-styled form of government that, while claiming to adhere to the Qur'an, in fact defies it, as well as ignoring the model of the Prophet who ensured people of all beliefs were respected and protected.
In those countries, there is no example of a truly Islamic state, as reflected in the inequality between men and women, and the passing of blasphemy laws, neither of which have any basis in Islam.
We would not want such regimes here. In fact, through the many freedoms we enjoy in this society – including those of speech and conscience – in some ways Britain presents a better example of Islamic values in practice than many so-called Muslim countries themselves.
We should not forget that most Muslims are happy living under existing British law, which does not preclude us from observing our religious practices.
We are proud to remain British citizens and obey the laws of this country, and see no contradiction in being British and Muslim.
Muhammad Yaseen Khan, President, Ahmadiyya Muslim Association, Wolverhampton.
