Will America allow accusations of “Islamaphobia” force them into accepting Shariah law, as the UK has?
I think it’s very important that we challenge the homophobia and sexism of Islam, as much as that which exists in other religions and in civil society generally. I agree it’s important to keep clear about what is personal choice in a genuine sense and what is forced. But I’m not completely sure you’re right in saying that the UK has ‘accepted’ shariah law in any sense. I think it’s in the same legal position as the Jewish Beit Din, in that both sides have to accept it AND it must not contravene British law. Where I think the problem lies (and it’s a much lesser one in the Jewish instance because Jews in the UK speak English and are generally more in touch with non-Jews and the way British law works) is when women, in particular, do not feel they really do have a choice. I don’t think that accepting the existence of shariah courts is a terrible thing in itself; I do think that the full shariah stuff we hear about would be grotesque, but that won’t ever happen in the UK because the limit
