What is Sharia Law?

Written by Darren Hewer

The Shar’ia (Islamic law) specifies the obligatory acts (fardh), the omission of which constitutes sin, and forbidden acts (haram), the practice of which constitutes sins. Everything else, not derived from these principles, are said to be permissible (mubah). [Source: Religion News Blog]

Recently it has been suggested that Muslim Sharia Law should be adopted in the UK. Previously there were tentative plans to adopt Sharia Law in Ontario, Canada, which were met with opposition and quickly abandoned. How should lawmakers respond to Sharia Law? As an example of how Sharia Law is applied in the world, recently in Saudi Arabia a married woman was arrested for sitting with a man in a Starbucks: Religious police in Saudi Arabia arrest mother for sitting with a man.

As most countries in the world become increasingly multicultural, they should attempt to accommodate the traditions & cultures of the various peoples who reside within them. However, should different laws apply to different people in regards to the same actions within a country?

There are other problems with accommodating Sharia Law, such as that countries around the world interpret and implement Muslim laws differently; since there are many diverse Sharia Laws, which of these would countries adopt? And how should the laws which differ markedly from our own cultural conventions be applied? While not all Sharia Law is this extreme, should we attempt to accommodate all such diverse laws, or should what is morally lawful be separated from what is merely cultural preference?