Day: July 26, 2009

Identifying with the struggle of the people of Gaza


I don’t know why it took so long for this story to come to light, but better late than never, and although I’m not a fan of Alice Walker I admire her integrity for identifying with the struggle of people who are as oppressed as some of the people of Walker’s novels.  Now there are two African American women who have put their lives on the line by defying Israeli authority and going to Gaza to see first hand what it’s like there; the other being Cynthia McKinney.  Where are African-American males on this issue or any other American male for that matter?  You can read what Walker had to say here, at DesertPeace.  Hat tip to them.  Check out an interview with Walker while in Gaza below.

Islamic Law in the UK


The Islamophobes were up in arms when this issue began to receive the press it has, but here’s what they didn’t tell you.

Increasing numbers of non-Muslims are turning to Sharia courts to resolve commercial disputes and other civil matters, The Times has learnt.

The Muslim Arbitration Tribunal (MAT) said that 5 per cent of its cases involved non-Muslims who were using the courts because they were less cumbersome and more informal than the English legal system.

Freed Chedie, a spokesman for Sheikh Faiz-ul-Aqtab Siqqiqi, a barrister who set up the tribunal, said: “We put weight on oral agreements, whereas the British courts do not.”

In a case last month a non-Muslim Briton took his Muslim business partner to the tribunal to sort out a dispute over the profits in their car fleet company. “The non-Muslim claimed that there had been an oral agreement between the pair,” said Mr Chedie. “The tribunal found that because of certain things the Muslim man did, that agreement had existed. The non-Muslim was awarded £48,000.”

Imagine that, a non Muslim going before a Muslim court system in the UK and actually winning!?!?  We don’t know the percentage of cases where non Muslims prevailed against Muslims in Sharia court and is it really important to know?  What counts is it’s a voluntary process that is similar to other tribunals at work in the UK judicial system and it’s only binding if both parties agree and sign BEFORE their case is heard.  So what’s so extraordinary about this development in the UK?  Nothing at all.