Faith Features

The Archbishop of Canterbury has recently come under fire after appearing to back the adoption of some aspects of Sharia Law in the UK. Dr Rowan Williams said that the UK had to "face up to the fact" that some citizens did not relate to the British legal system.

The Muslim Council of Britain has said that is is a complex issue in need of debate, but stressed it would only involve a "small aspect" of the law.

Amidst the sensationalist and hysterical headlines in some newspapers, there is indeed a debate to be had, and in the interests of making it an informed and educated one, BBC Three Counties Ian Pearce spoke to Dr Fiaz Hussain from the Luton Council of Mosques, to try and put it all into perspective.

What is Sharia Law?

Dr Fiaz Hussain: Sharia Law is effectively a series of principles and guidelines which we believe to be divine, coming from God Almighty. Sahria Law is not something new just for the Muslims, it's been there for Christians and Jews too.  

The word Sharia is an Arabic word but it is divine law, just like the Ten Commandments which have also been there for a very long time, and it's there for everyone.

Sharia Law, the divine law, effectively looks at every aspect of our life. So, for example, love thy neighbour is part of that law, and caring for one another and respecting each other, regardless of which faith you are, is part of that law.

The Welfare State that we have today is also part of that divine law, whereby those who are wealthy enough, can actually share part of their wealth with others who may not be, so it actually encompasses much of what we have every day anyway.

We already have some Sharia principles in place in this country anyway don't we, such as in banking?

Dr Fiaz Hussain: Exactly. The thing is, the Holy Koran and the Bible and the Torah, they all point to the same thing. The fact is that we, as human beings, are a creation of God Almighty and when anybody produces something they produce a manual as a guideline. This brings me back to the point that this is nothing new, nothing alien, we implement it day in and day out.   

Islamic banking is one of the most popular products out there and it's not just Muslims who are buying what is referred to as ethical banking. [People buy it because] it's part of their beliefs, because there's no interest involved. So that is another aspect where you could say that the Sharia element is already here with us. The Bank of England and most of the High Street banks recognise it. 

As far as day to day is concerned, we have a faith, and what is a faith? It's a series of beliefs and practices. As a Christian you have a series of beliefs and practices and Muslims do to, and they match up because all religions teach that you should do good and prevent as much evil as one can.

Would it be right to assume that Muslims do want Sharia Law and are there any areas in British law that conflict with Sharia?

Dr Fiaz Hussain: That's left for interpretation about exactly what Sharia Law is as both Muslims and non-Muslims are going to have different angles to this - so I think we have to be careful with that. But I am a Muslim, living in this country under the British Law and under the Sharia Law. The thing is, we are saying it's one or the other, but there are things that match up. We want justice for example, we want fair play, we want people to live happily and respect and tolerate one another. That's already happening, it's in the Bible and it's in the Koran so I don't see any conflict in that sense. 

And many of us go through life without recourse to the legal system anyway?

Dr Fiaz Hussain: I think one of the reasons for this is that divine law works. Going to church or the Mosque when you are young builds in the good citizenship component. We are implementing what is human nature and divine law is human nature.    

When Rowan Williams says "I see a time when some citizens don't relate to the British legal system and some aspects of Sharia law could be adopted in the UK", what is he saying? What areas is he talking about?

Dr Fiaz Hussain: I think it's best to ask him but my angle is maybe day to day things. For example marriage and inheritance and aspects of family life that are already there. We marry in the traditional Muslim way and so do other faiths but there's nothing wrong with that - it's just a matter of recognising realities and the reality is that people are going to follow their faith and beliefs, and as long as that doesn't actually interfere with other people's beliefs and practices, I don't see what the issue is.

Yes, for example, different faiths have different rules regarding burial. Muslims need a death certificate issued almost straight away because your faith says that you need to bury that person as soon as possible. Is it that kind of collision between faith and the laws of the land?

Dr Fiaz Hussain: Yes - as a faith you're going to have different beliefs and practices. We [Muslims] believe that we all have to return to our Lord and once death occurs we need to return to him as soon as possible. So there are workable things you can do.

People are going to have a series of beliefs and they are going to practice them and we have to recognise that that is already happening, that is why we talk about a multifaith society, that's what it means, and there's nothing wrong with that. The Archbishop, as a man of faith, has already highlighted that there are many faiths in this country and we should be proud of them.

So, the debate is there but it has to be an educated debate?

Dr Fiaz Hussain:  Exactly, the problem is that we have reached a conclusion without actually discussing anything. It needs to be an informed and educated debate. Let's have a discussion, let's put it on the plate. I think what the Archbisop rightly has done is put it in front of us for us to discuss it in a proper manner and to recognise that there are things that are already happening that comply with divine Sharia Law and that's been going on for years.