The 18 October saw the start of the Home Office’s independent review into the application of shari’a law in the UK.
Bishop Michael Nazir-Ali sharply criticised the review, warning that any recognition of shari’a in British law would embed a principle of contradiction, given the inequality that lies at the heart of shari’a. He questioned how helpful the review in itself will be, noting that no non-Muslim Islamic expert or human rights expert will be on the review panel.
Wrong starting point
In his written submission, he notes that because the review is only concerned with the application of shari’a law, the question then is whether the application of shari’a is incompatible with English law, not whether shari’a is itself incompatible with English law. He states that the review asks for examples of best practice rather than asking whether such councils should exist at all. The review essentially starts from the wrong point and asks the wrong questions.
