Koranic judgments subject to appeal, but repression is feared
The front-page photo of the Asian Pacific Post was intended to frighten. It showed a burqa-clad woman, eyes distraught, hands clutched in supplication. The headline: 'Islamic courts for B.C.?'
Inside, the Vancouver weekly answered its own provocative question: sharia, the 'law' that in its extreme form mandates amputating the hands of thieves and stoning adulterers to death, may soon be a fact of life in Canada
It is the country's latest adventure in multiculturalism. The leaders - all men - of Canada's 600,000 Muslims are pushing hard to set up sharia tribunals. They would have the authority to intervene in non-criminal matters such as divorce, child custody, property and inheritance. The hearings would be behind closed doors. The 'judges' would likely include the local imam.
Instead of Canadian statute books, the tribunals would refer to 1,300-year-old laws inspired by the Koran. Appearance before the tribunals would be voluntary, and any decision could be appealed to Canadian courts.
But there's a catch: some Islamic leaders say that if you're a 'good Muslim', you won't argue with a tribunal's decision.
Ontario, Canada's biggest province, has already approved the idea as a cost-saving measure.