Cardinal rejects idea of Shariah as part of British legal system

Published: 2008-02-12

LONDON (CNS) -- An English cardinal has rejected suggestions that aspects of Shariah, or Islamic law, might be incorporated into the British legal system. Cardinal Cormac Murphy-O'Connor of Westminster distanced himself from remarks made in a speech by Anglican Archbishop Rowan Williams of Canterbury, but he added he was "saddened" by the way the archbishop had been misunderstood. In a Feb. 7 lecture on Islam and English law, Archbishop Williams, leader of the worldwide Anglican Communion, said Britain needed to continue to find accommodation with religious legal codes such as Shariah if community cohesion and development are to be achieved. Archbishop Williams told the British Broadcasting Corp. hours before the lecture in London that the adoption of some aspects of Shariah in Britain "seems unavoidable." Senior Anglican bishops from around the world criticized his remarks, and some called for his resignation.

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