Multiculturalism

I'm not sure any alternatives exist that are more moral to enforce/enact. We can't force other people to change their perspective on gender roles. Take Shariah councils {courts} which operate under the Arbitration Act which allows adults to work things out for themselves as long as it is within UK law. They mostly act as matrimonial/divorce proceedings, they try to work with couples to keep the marriage together, though there does seem to be a bias against the women's interests.We can't stop it - it's perfectly legal (usually). And why wouldn't it be? They're all consenting adults. Maybe one party or both is there under some duress, but the same could be said of marriage counselling or other arbitration or even divorce proceedings in a UK court.So what to do. We could regulate arbitration in some way, this could remain within the general principles of the act:

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the parties should be free to agree how their disputes are resolved, subject only to such safeguards as are necessary in the public interest;

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By arguing the public interest angle while allowing the free consenting adults as much freedom as possible. I believe there are people doing this very thing right now.As far as I am concerned a multicultural society is a fact we need to learn how to navigate. Avenues to allow assimilation exist and are being used, but they take time, and it hasn't been much time for many of these cultures. It can be argued, for instance that there is an African-American culture distinct from the dominant culture even though they have shared the same country for centuries {just not in equal ways}.When I was born there were about 300,000 British Pakistanis. Today there are over a million. That's only in a few decades -so it's no surprise that assimilation isn't going to have occurred yet. As such we're stuck with a multicultural society.So what to do?Do we just carry on as if it wasn't happening?What if the government needs to give out information on registering to vote? Do we just give that out in English, even though it's a fact that English is not first language for many constituents and getting the registration correct? Could this have a prejudicial effect so as to result in effectively suppressing the British Pakistani/Indian/Arab vote?So some degree of multiculturalism is certainly required, if we are genuinely interested in fairness. The immigrants that arrive here are free to live life as they please, within UK law, even if it involves mostly speaking another language (which is fine - 'shampoo' is word we stole from India it's good for languages to collide - see also Jungle, Bungalow, Bandanna), but a certain melding/assimilation is always the result and I say let it happen.Do you have any specific issues with any particular action that might be taken differently?

Yes, sounds good to me. As a general principle I'd agree. Do you have any specific issues with any particular action that might be taken differently? Such as? What kind of policies are you referring to? Such as?

I see Robert Putnam is the only thing you put forward there but I'm not sure that constitutes an overview of 'available evidence'. He certainly raises some interesting points, but there are alternative perspectives out there too. For instance compare the monocultural societies (historically and contemporary) on concepts such as tolerance. Check your email. I'm interested in hearing other ideas so please do share.

Well you were happy to put forward the way women are treated in minority cultures, why not use some of those kinds of measures? It was common for women to have to accept a certain amount of sexual harassment/assault in the workplace, but this has become more widely condemned over time. See also the treatment of African-Americans, homosexuals, the disabled etc. I'm not sure how that would work differently than it does now. We do encourage the adoption of local culture, and the job opportunities doing so affords could be seen as financial assistance. What are we talking here? Payments for speaking English? In the USA that might be an issue with it not being the 'official' language' Something like Denmark?The removal of religious celebrations from schools would seem to be an intrinsic part of a secular nation's culture. I don't live in your culture and I have not seen any removal of holidays or their discussion from schools. Could you fill me in? Am I to understand that the school closes for Thanksgiving, but they don't discuss Thanksgiving in schools? That's fine, but it was my understanding that education is filled with this kind of stuff. Heck - highschools often have metal detectors in the entrances - how quintessentially American that is! Honestly, you communicated your ideas in a way that was still general enough to describe what happens anyway. I'm guessing you want it more overt, but I'm not sure what that would look like. If we're talking direct financial incentives, how would one qualify? What would we see in schools that isn't there today with regards to American culture?

Culture is how things are done, not how things might ideally be done - surely? I'm not sure how this is a refutation of 'I'm not sure how that would work differently than it does now. We do encourage the adoption of local culture', we seem to be agreeing. So you are saying that these things have been removed? Is this by the government mandate? I'm confused. You say Christmas trees OK but Nativities not, and quote articles that say that is the way things are? What double standard? Seems to me that the nativity is not a religious or a secular symbol it's a display of a religious mythical story. I'm guessing this is blowback from the Christian privileges that were endemic to American culture and the numerous lawsuits that won on constitutional grounds. Seems to me, where the line gets drawn on these matters is going to be under discussion for decades to come. Probably not, no, nor do we need crosses. But if crosses go up, I think the others should get a look in too.Incidentally, the 'Muslim' stars are actually symbols for the Near East region that many Muslim states adopted on their flags - and has only recently become associated with Islam as a religion. It is part of the American culture, I'm afraid. Something like 1 in 10 have metal detectors, right? That's part of the way of life for many students. Do you want one particular value system instructed? Might government mandated morality cause parent's concerns that can be dealt with? Or are you talking about teaching fundamental western ethical philosophies (consequentialism, deontology etc) allowing the students to reach their own conclusions after giving them such tools? Or should this be decided on a school-by-school basis? Are you thinking civics classes or a Sudbury style experience-based learning model?

OK, so my original comment stands. As the West has grown more multicultural it has also culturally grown more tolerant of 'others'.I don't care if the Constitution technically meant black men should be considered equal, or what the high-minded ideals of the people involved in its construction - the fact is that when it was first put into practice only 10-20% of people could even vote and they were all white, affluent, male land-owners.Culture is what the people do, and the culture has grown more tolerant in recent history. Perhaps you'd like to be specific? I don't live in the USA remember, don't take for granted that I just 'know' this is happening. I didn't suggest otherwise. Nonsense, it happens all the time, it almost HAS to happen. We just don't tell them it was John Stuart Mill that gave us the jargon with which to discuss it in detail or whatever."If you bite your sister it makes her hurt and get sad, and that makes me upset. Do you want to hurt people and make your family sad?"Might be an angle of attack a parent might try - it's consequentialism. They might try"Brothers must look after their sisters. Hurting your sister makes you a bad brother. You don't want to be a bad brother do you?"Which could be argued as deontology.

So a city-state couldn't do this?
Or a town council?
Or a corporate entity?
Or a school?Or an Empire? Or a tribe? Or a Band?Are only 'national' policies, policies? Should we just ignore local cultural ideas on land ownership and impose our own in the name of...monoculturalism?Incidentally, the Spanish did adopt some cultural ideas such as Mit'a, but then it was cheaper than importing slaves so maybe it's a bit premature to consider it a high-minded melting pot notion.

Utilizing our western civics system (lobbying, voting) to peaceably demand changes? Sounds like the process of assimilation is beginning. Absolutely and undoubtedly. I was only pointing out that so to does monoculturalism. I suggest we try and navigate a path through both, but I haven't spent a lot of time reading cultural studies material which is why I was hoping for specifics.And if there is a 'winner' in cultural evolution, right now our shared culture would be it. We've imported it almost everywhere, and even areas that reject parts or even large parts of it, are still almost forced to accept some of it, or tempted into accepting it thinking it will be an improvement - to the detriment of many small rural communities it has been argued.. Ever heard of Betteridge's law? The blog doesn't answer the question unfortunately. It says many immigrants come from heavily patriarchal societies, and gives evidence. Then it says a book, than Putnam endorses, claims that rapid immigration leads to enclaves that preserve things such as those patriarchal values. It sounds plausible, but the blog doesn't discuss the evidence and laments that nobody has formally asked these communities. I think you mentioned a type of welfare that necessitated enrolment in an English class. I don't know the details of the welfare in question, but the general principle sounds good. I wonder if Spanish would be an acceptable alternative in some communities? I understand the situation. However, you raised the following point:

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It has become very popular to remove holiday celebration from schools;

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I presumed there had been something in the media or blogosphere or something that you had noticed this happening and was wondering if you had some examples of this? I presumed you had something other than the 'War on Christmas', perhaps to do with Thanksgiving or some other uniquely American, entirely secular celebration such as July 4th being 'hidden' and/or 'suppress[ed]'.Is this not the case? Is it truly impossible? Should we look to other examples of multicultural policies that are problematic if it would be dishonest of you to talk about what other schools are doing without due dilligence? OK. So this is what we have now, isn't it? You just want to include some kind of civics or citizenship studies in there. OK so let's have a look at Social Studies. Again, I'm not in the know on this subject but http://schools.utah.gov:

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The goal of this course is to foster informed, responsible participation in public life. Knowing how to be a good citizen is essential to the preservation and improvement of United States democracy. Upon completion of this course the student will understand the major ideas, protections, privileges, structures, and economic systems that affect the life of a citizen in the United States political system. This course is recommended for seniors due to their proximity to voting age.

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The Center for Civic Education says the National Standards for Civics and Government involve answering these key questions, and other associated ones:

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What are Civic Life, Politics, and Government?
What are the Foundations of the American Political System?
How Does the Government Established by the Constitution Embody the Purposes, Values, and Principles of American Democracy?
What is the Relationship of the United States to Other Nations and to World Affairs?
What are the Roles of the Citizen in American Democracy?

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The National Council for the Social Studies:

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Human beings create, learn, share, and adapt to culture. The study of culture examines the socially transmitted beliefs, values, institutions, behaviors, traditions and way of life of a group of people; it also encompasses other cultural attributes and products, such as language, literature, music, arts and artifacts, and foods. Students come to understand that human cultures exhibit both similarities and differences, and they learn to see themselves both as individuals and as members of a particular culture that shares similarities with other cultural groups, but is also distinctive. In a multicultural, democratic society and globally connected world, students need to understand the multiple perspectives that derive from different cultural vantage points.

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Cultures are dynamic and change over time. The study of culture prepares students to ask and answer questions such as: What is culture? What roles does culture play in human and societal development? What are the common characteristics across cultures? How is unity developed within and among cultures? What is the role of diversity and how is it maintained within a culture? How do various aspects of culture such as belief systems, religious faith, or political ideals, influence other parts of a culture such as its institutions or literature, music, and art? How does culture change over time to accommodate different ideas, and beliefs? How does cultural diffusion occur within and across communities, regions, and nations?

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They learn to analyze specific aspects of culture, such as language and beliefs, and the influence of culture on human behavior. As students progress through high school, they can understand and use complex cultural concepts such as adaptation, assimilation, acculturation, diffusion, and dissonance that are drawn from anthropology, sociology, and other disciplines to explain how culture and cultural systems function.

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National Curriculum Standards for Social Studies: Chapter 2The Themes of Social Studies - is this too far? Is this what you want more of?

Sharia law does not necessitate honour killings any more than western law necessitates the death penalty for murder.

That isn't the issue at hand. But 'they' aren't forcing their ways upon the dominant culture in the situation under discussion. They're asking to sort mostly domestic and marital problems out using their own arbitrators. Here it is

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Arbitration should continue to be an alternative dispute resolution option
that is available in family and inheritance law cases, subject to the further recommendations of this Review

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The Arbitration Act should continue to allow disputes to be arbitrated using religious law, if the safeguards currently prescribed and recommended by this Review are observed.

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You know, because they are free and consenting adults and all that.

a) There is no 'Sharia' as a single entity like there is no single 'Christian morality'. For instance 'A Muslim who becomes a non-Muslim is punishable by death.' is based on a very questionable Hadith that plenty of Islamic scholars simply reject
b) Try getting your knowledge of Islam from somewhere that isn't a rival religious group
c) The Attorney general was only talking about the settling of civil disputes, so much of your list is obviously not applicable
d) Sharia only would be allowed as dispute resolution as long as the resolution is within Ontario law. Thus murder, dismemberment and child abuse are automatically excluded anyway.So...try again. Did you even look Taqiyya up?

I thought you wanted democratic western values to be adopted? Fine, but I'm hoping for examples of policies actively working against this assimilation. It's a joke. Look it up, sourpuss. Why? Well - not uniquely American and not entirely secular; also its not a national holiday, but OK close enough. There are schools that allow Halloween costumes during working hours? For what ages are we talking here? The policy against it - did it prohibit discussion in the classroom, imagery etc? How does that 'make no sense'? On the one hand you say it is to be inclusive, and on the other you say it really is about avoiding some children feeling excluded. Aren't they the same thing?If you are able to find cases where we are both able to view the policy and any official statements about a policy regarding Halloween in schools then maybe we can talk further on this matter. It doesn't seem to be promoting and strengthening minority cultures, so I'm not sure 'Multicultural' is the appropriate term as you've been using it in this thread. Seems more about trying to avoid being the cause of a feeling of exclusion in some children. This is better described, I think, as Political Correctness. Like? Making them mandatory at the Federal level? I mean you wanted 'very direct instruction on values.' - what could be more direct than courses on that subject? In adult classes? Allowances need to be made, yes. Children don't need to rigidly observe salat, but in school times only one prayer break tends to fall within school time: Zohar {your salat times may vary} and maybe Asar. I imagine the same would be true for adult students. Well having breaks is actually good for learning, and further they exist already. Most classes will proceed without a prayer time coming up. I see no disrespect of our culture happening here. But consider this. You say to your adult students - "No allowances for prayer times will be allowed. You will not be permitted to leave class every prayer time." What will happen?Will conservative Muslims from strongly religious backgrounds say 'Screw my fundamental religious duties' and take up the classes that you want to use to help assimilate them? Improving their English, knowledge of American history, politics and values?No. They'll just not enrol. Which would undermine your goal, I think, serving to entrench cultural differences. Yes, that is typical student behaviour and to a certain extent is an essential part of the learning process. Sure, other than kicking them out of class, options are limited with adults. Of any culture. I'm not sure what this has to do with cultures. Western students can be disruptive too, or is this something that is recognized as a problem with some other culture that you are seeing a lot of?Here, there is no multicultural policy I can see to discuss. This is more a problem with dealing with adults. If the lesson is being continuously crowded out then either the teacher needs to address and resolve this using discussion, or by expulsion from the class. March of Monoculture? It's not entirely on topic so don't worry about it.

I guess there are a number of reasons, including their qualifications and local labour shortages as well as humanitarian ones. This might be interesting {The Pakistani Muslim Community in England — Understanding Muslim Ethnic Communities, Department for Communities and Local Government, March 2009} as it an examination of the situation of Pakistanis in Britain:

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Large scale immigration to Britain from Pakistan began in the 1950s, when Britain encouraged migration from the former colonies to satisfy its post war labour needs. Migration increased significantly in 1961 prior to the Commonwealth Immigrants Act (1962) which restricted automatic entry to the UK for Commonwealth citizens.

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The identity of different generations varies, with the elders from the first generation still feeling a strong connection towards their country of birth. The second generation also has a deep connection to Pakistan, but to a much lesser extent than their parents. The third generation of young people see themselves as primarily British and this forms a strong part
of their identity. As the country of birth of their parents and grandparents, they still have a deep personal or psychological association with Pakistan, but one that is a substantially diminished part of their own personal identity in comparison to their parents. However, the majority of community members of all ages and generations unequivocally describe
themselves as British Muslims.

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Whilst there is still a substantial gap between the educational attainment of pupils of Pakistani heritage and the national average, increasing numbers of young Pakistanis, male and female, are successfully entering higher education and moving into the professional sphere occupations. There are indications that the economic trajectory of the Pakistani
community is now beginning to mirror that of the indigenous population, with a majority middle or aspiring middle class, alongside an underclass of mainly young people who have left school with no qualifications and are caught up in drugs and criminality. Whilst officially unemployed, many are part of a thriving and ‘informal economy’.

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Unlike their mother’s generation, who were largely restricted to the home, most young women have the expectation of working and developing their professional careers. Pakistani girls and women are outperforming their male counterparts in compulsory and higher education, and women are becoming more visible in all walks of life: corporate, media, political and community based. Leadership is being demonstrated through a growing number of women who are taking a leading role in politics and other arenas as councillors, mayors, journalists, and by women in high profile jobs in the public sector. However, women stress that they still have to reconcile these aspirations and goals within the framework of a patriarchal culture — ‘to be someone in a man’s world’.

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Many of the Pakistani Muslims who took part in this study are critical about current debates about integration and cohesion. They feel that these debates only arise when there is a sense of public crisis, and that these ignore the reality of a multicultural Britain in which communities by and large live side by side in harmony and mutual respect. The
use of the term integration is particularly resented, as it is felt to imply a one sided focus on minority communities, as opposed to being promoted as a two way process. There is also a widespread view that no matter how much minorities try, the majority community will never
accept them as truly British. Some are also very critical about the low levels of awareness and lack of interest in the host community about minority communities and cultures. There is a high level of anger about the perceived increase in Islamophobia in British society and the stereotyping of all Muslims as potential terrorists or terrorist sympathisers. This
makes people feel that their loyalty and British identity is being questioned. Most people in the community believe that, like mainstream society, the majority of Pakistanis view acts of terrorism as a serious crime and hence the exploitation of terms to link all Muslims with
terrorism is a very serious issue.

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Pakistani families have maintained close links with Pakistan and their families there since their arrival in the UK but these links are weakening with the third generation. Travel between Pakistan and the UK has consistently been a strong link and sending of remittances to families has been a critical element of connection, and whilst the tradition is
still maintained, it is not at the same level as the days of early migration.

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During the 1950s and 1960s, those that migrated were largely single men, both educated and uneducated. They found ewith labour shortages in the West Midlands, West Yorkshire, and Lancashire, in cities such
as Birmingham, Bradford, Manchester, Newcastle-on-Tyne, and Glasgow in Scotland. After some years they were joined by their families and dependants.

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Young people consulted for the study defined being British as an essential part of their identity. Within the overall category of British Muslim, some also defined themselves in relation to geographical affiliations such as Brummies, Bradfordians and Londoners. However, according to young respondents, the identity issue has become very critical post 9/11 and 7/7. The mass increase in Islamophobia, negative publicity and the general
perception about Muslims, are causing a crisis in the minds of the third generation, who have now begun to feel unsupported by the British system and culture, and made to feel like strangers in what they consider as their home.

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However, the strength of these links and that of denominations is dwindling, particularly with the third generation, which is questioning the validity of the different sects and their inability to agree on approaches to important religious celebrations, which they see as causing more frictions than bonding amongst Muslims in the country. University students interviewed during the study also spoke about the need to individually decide where they stand in relation to religious practice along the continuum from really strict adherents on the one hand, to people who have completely turned their back on religion on the other.
The respondents saw this decision as a personal issue, but felt that there was a lot of peer pressure on them from more overtly religious students.

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Whilst appreciating the value of maintaining elements of their culture and traditions, younger respondents also highlighted the pressures imposed by the extended family and community structures which make it difficult for them to establish their own independent ways of living. According to them, existing community support structures were all established to meet the needs of the earlier generations and have not kept pace with the
changing needs of the community, particularly young people and women.

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The community considers itself to be well integrated and its primary self identification is that of British Muslim. At the same time, it is keen to maintain close links with its cultural heritage and country of origin. Many question the public policy focus on cohesion and integration which is seen by many as a knee jerk response to a current situation that ignores the fact that Britain is a multicultural society in which various communities have lived and continue to live harmoniously. Integration approaches are particularly mistrusted and are viewed primarily as a means to force minority communities to assimilate into an imagined British culture and values.

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Sorry for the massive paste, but it's a 74 page document and it's quite interesting. The sense I get is that is that assimilation is happening naturally as distance from home culture grows generationally and over time. Overt attempts to force the issue result in entrenchment, overreaction by the local population and media to terrible events other Muslims are involved in is contributory to a strengthening of religious identity and possibly extremism.It seems that rather than distrusting and disenfranchising them, welcoming them and accommodating them is a better strategy towards assimilation. The Pakistanis interviewed raised the issue that many of the 'multicultural' policies/infrastructure are focussed on the needs of first generation immigrants and there isn't enough support for those of the third generation who have quite different cultural needs and identity. And what multicultural policies are encouraging or promoting this? Are we just complaining about immigration policy? That is a topic in its own right, I think. OK gotcha. Were there other activities such as making halloween posters, dunking for apples etc? Halloween is a lot less of a thing here in the UK, I sense, although strangely I get the impression that American culture is influencing things so as to increase its significance. I think our cultural oddity of 'burn the Catholic terrorist and celebrate oppressive tyranny'-day being so close is to blame. You mentioned this kind of thing was becoming more fashionable - do you have stats on it anywhere? I agree, but the situation is complex so I can't really add much to the discussion. Here in the UK we tend to have Halloween off school so I don't think it ever came up.But I think I get the sense. So one change you'd propose is more participation in cultural traditions such as holidays in educational venues. Do you suggest Federal intervention or just persuasion of school boards? I disagree. It can't be inclusive if it doesn't include everybody. A school menu that only has Pork chops for main course is not inclusive even if you 'let' every eat it. If there are children who are prohibited religiously from participating in Halloween (whether that be conservative Christians, Jews or Muslims), you will exclude them from joining in certain activities.I guess there are a variety of solutions possible, I have no idea what is best, but I certainly understand the concerns of those involved, given these are real children with real feelings they are responsible for rather than some object to be shaped. If you think there is something that isn't done now, or should be done more then let me know what it is. It doesn't have to be, maybe what is happening in your specific experience is. I'd suggest everyone get together and work out a different system that is less problematic. Salat can be done within 5-10 minutes, so I don't think the best solution involves abruptly stopping the class entirely.You also didn't comment on the fact that by not accommodating Islamic religious practices, you are de facto excluding Muslims from the educational program, which undermines your goals. This is strange because it was most of the section you quoted and you only got as far as addressing the first sentence. I agree, but I don't feel that makes things unmanageable for an adult education class. I've had longer toilet breaks during a class than some prayer. Once there are a certain percent of the class leaving at the same time, it makes sense to deal with this in some way. Stopping the whole class seems excessive, but structuring the lesson in such a way as to avoid essential learning during salat, maybe doing exercises or a recap depending on where it falls and the subject and stuff seems like a reasonable compromise. Maybe if salat falls near a natural break time, adjust class time slightly where feasible. Is it feasible for there to be two classes that cover the same material that run at different times (This was the case for one adult education thing I did, but it was privately funded rather than publicly so...)?The idea of not having them there, in an area with a strong Muslim presence, seems self-defeating. OK - do you have evidence this is endemic? Can you give name to the culture? Or is it just people from lower educational backgrounds in general, which is typically immigrants from poorer nations? Is there any hope in segregating classes based on this? Any ideas for an intro class on classroom behaviour and western education that you need to behave and learn in in order to pass? I guess, because of the self-defeating nature of kicking them out, it makes some degree of sense to view expulsion as a last resort leading to a high tolerance for crap. I'm sure this issue vexes those education westerners sometimes too. I'm pretty sure the dominant culture is the favoured one, even as certain accommodations are being made for what seem like pragmatic purposes.Your solution to the problems seems to be to simply exclude the least cultured from the enculturation centres you were proposing. Well, it's an interesting consideration in any event.

So it confirmed your biases and served your agenda and who cares that it was nothing to do with the proposal in discussion - scaring people about Islam is more important than having a rational discussion right?What about Beth Din? Christian Conciliation? Wrong. Nobody is mixing the two.Religious laws and codes exist and some people follow them. What is your alternative? It's not the same system. Remains, as ever, a matter between the two consenting adults unless there are children involved (see the document we are discussing for its recommendations regarding children in arbitration cases). They can settle the issue themselves, request an arbitrator they both agree to either informally or as part of official mediation proceedings, or take it to a secular court. However, assuming we are talking about someone who could legally be considered a wife: A Muslim Ontarian woman would have the same rights as a Christian Ontarian woman to divorce her husband. In the UK, you must file for divorce to a UK divorce court (paying the court costs). Then you need 'permission from your spouse' for the easy route otherwise you need to go in front of a secular judge to hear the case and decide if you have permission to divorce. I think it's kind of normal. I certainly don't want the government mandating where my money goes when I die, do you? And we can't let our fear of The Other diminish freedom. The alternatives?If you forbid people to sort out family disputes in their own way, they will still do it, only without the safeguards and regulations, just as they will seek out abortions even if it is banned and unregulated. Indeed, there are certainly more unofficial Sharia courts than official ones already.There are some Muslim women who state that Sharia is empowering even if it is not always equitable on the grounds that male family members are under tremendous pressure to listen to and comply with the religious authority figure giving women more leverage than they would otherwise have. Those women are clearly in a crap position if they find that worth celebrating, but that's how it is. I prefer to have regulatory oversight and the requirement for documentation and legal avenues for disputing rulings clearly being communicated to all parties, the allowance of legal representation and encouraging those kinds of avenues than the coathanger-in-the-alley equivalent which I would suggest is more harmful to women.Also, and I repeat. You are talking as if Sharia is a single system and it is not.

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Sharia consists of a set of principles governing the way that one should live one’s life in accordance with the will of God. These principles are based on the Qu’ran, as revealed to the Prophet Muhammad and interpreted by Islamic scho lars. The principles have much in common with those of other religions. They do not include forced marriage or the
repression of women. Compliance with them requires a high level of personal conduct, including abstinence from alcohol. I understand that it is not the case that for a Muslim to lead his or her life in accordance with these principles will be in conflict with the requirements of the law in this country.

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What would be in conflict with the law would be to impose certain sanctions for failure to comply with Sharia principles. Part of the misconception about Sharia law is the belief that Sharia is only about mandating sanctions such as flogging, stoning, the cutting off of hands, or death for those who fail to comply with the law...There can be no question of such sanctions being applied to or by any Muslim who lives within this jurisdiction. Nor, when I was in Oman, did I find that such penalties formed any part of the law applied there. It is true that they have the death penalty for that intentional murder, but they do not apply any of the other forms of corporal punishment I have just listed.

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A point that the Archbishop was making was that it was possible for individuals voluntarily to conduct their lives in accord ance with Sharia principles without this being in conflict with the rights guaranteed by our law. To quote him again the refusal of a religious believer to act upon the legal recognition of a right is not, given the plural character of society, a denial to anyone inside or outside the community of access to that right.
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It is possible in this country for those who are entering into a contractual agreement to agree that the agreement shall be governed by a law other than English law. Those who, in this country, are in dispute as to their respective rights are free to subject that dispute to the mediation of a chosen person, or to agree that the dispute shall be resolved by a chosen arbitrator or arbitrators. There is no reason why principles of Sharia Law,
or any other religious code should not be the basis for mediation or other forms of alternative dispute resolution. It must be recognised, however, that any sanctions for a failure to comply with the agreed terms of the mediation would be drawn from the laws of England and Wales. So far as aspects of matrimonial law are concerned, there is a limited precedent for English law to recognise aspects of religious laws, although when it comes to divorce this can only be effected in accordance with the civil law of this country.

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EQUALITY BEFORE THE LAW BY LORD PHILLIPS, LORD CHIEF JUSTICE, 2008

Is this like Dr. Kent Hovind? He has a doctorate in Missiology from Whitefield Theological Seminary. Maybe you have a better source?