EU-Digest: Europe's Sharia law: "How to break the stranglehold of archaic religious laws and abuses"

Religious problems in a secular Europe

Europe's Sharia law: "How to Break the stranglehold of archaic religious laws and abuses"

"Europeans are learning that just defining 'moderate' Muslims as those who do not want to blow things up is not enough. 'Non-violent' Muslim extremists who want to replace Western laws with Islamic sharia law, and democracy (rule by man-made law) with theocracy (rule by God's law, as interpreted by Islamic clergy and jurists) may actually pose a more serious threat to Europe. A poll last year in Britain showed that four out of 10 British Muslims want sharia law introduced into parts of the country.

Sharia law conflicts with Western law in several key areas. First, it considers blasphemy -- saying or writing negative things about Islam -- as a crime punishable by death. A second area is apostasy, the 'crime' of abandoning a religion. A direct challenge to the very concept of freedom of religion, apostasy too is punishable by death under sharia law. Muslims are enjoined to do their best to spread Islam, but it is a one-way street -- no one can opt out. The impact of this is to stifle free speech and action among Muslims. Women's rights are a third and most important area of conflict.Muslim women in Europe often pay with their lives in so-called honor killings carried out by other family members. Their crime: adopting a modern lifestyle or showing interest in a non-Muslim man. In many parts of the world women are harassed and assaulted if they do not cover themselves. There are now places, even in Europe, where non-Muslim women have begun to cover their head to avoid being molested.

The majority of Europeans including European Muslims want sharia law to be outlawed in the secular EU. The fact that it is being tolerated so far has nothing to do with freedom of religion, but rather by political expediency. There should be no misunderstanding possible. Sharia law is a religious dictate which stifles democracy, freedom of speech and freedom of action. Instead, European advocacy groups should embrace, protect and encourage Muslims who want to modernize their religion. Muslim Reformers can do the same for their religion what Martin Luther's Reformation movement did in the 1500's on behalf of the Christian faith, break the stranglehold of archaic religious laws and abuses."