CBC News reports that "Ontario Premier rejects use of Shariah law". Premier McGuinty has announced that civil divorce proceedings will not be allowed to use Islamic Shariah law as an alternative dispute mechanism.
I do not know enough to have an opinion on Shariah law (except to assume that, like any other law code, it can be used to the advantage of those with more advantages already). The good news is that McGuinty was willing to name the fact that it is all or nothing. In banning the use of Shariah law he is also calling for the end of Jewish and Christian equivalents. This is what it means to have a realistic separation of church and state. In a pluralistic society you can't have one religion's stuff used while banning another--all or none.
I agree Gord. It has to be all or nothing, and in my view, this was the only choice McGuinty could realistically make.
ReplyDeleteThis may have a ripple effect on Roman Catholic and Jewish communities as well, but I still think the further we separate church and state, the healthier our Provincial and Federal politics will be (if you can really say healthy and politics in the same sentence without smirking....)