The Archbishop of Canterbury has stated in his new book that “Islamic rules are incompatible with British laws”, which he argues should never become part of the British legal system.
Archbishop Justin Welby also stated that that British law has “underlying values and assumptions” that come from a Christian tradition.
He explained his reasons why Shariah law should not receive an official status in the UK in his book entitled, “Reimagining Britain”.
He also mentions in the book: “Sharia law is not just about punishments.
“It is something of immense sophistication, but it comes from a very different background of jurisprudence to the one from which British law has developed over the past 500 years.
“Sharia, which has a powerful and ancient cultural narrative of its own, deeply embedded in a system of faith and understanding of God, and thus especially powerful in forming identity, cannot become part of another narrative.
“Accepting it in part implies accepting its values around the nature of the human person, attitudes to outsiders, the revelation of God, and a basis for life in law, rather than grace, the formative word of Christian culture.
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“They face enormous pressures and need one legal basis of oversight and one philosophical foundation of understanding.
“For these reasons, I am especially sympathetic towards those Islamic groups that do not seek the application of sharia law into the family and inheritance law of this country.”
There are believed to be more than 80 Shariah courts in Britain which settle financial and marital disputes for those who are willing to accept their rulings.
