Bishop Nazir-Ali refutes judge’s Sharia comments

Saturday, 12th July 2008
by Matt Cresswell

London: Dr Michael Nazir-Ali, the Anglican Bishop of Rochester , refuted claims by Britain ’s top judge that certain aspects of Sharia law should be applied to the UK legal system.

Lord Chief Justice Nicholas Phillips’ comments, made last week, echoed controversial remarks made by the Archbishop of Canterbury, Dr Rowan Williams, in February. Lord Philips, who was speaking at the East London Muslim Centre, said that British Muslims should be able to use Sharia to decide financial and marital disputes.

But the Bishop of Rochester disagrees with the Lord Chief Justice’s labeling of English law as secular. Bishop Nazir-Ali said: “I would like to reiterate what I have said on a number of occasions that English Law is not ‘secular’. It is, rather rooted in the Judaeo-Christian tradition originating from the Bible.” the rest