>This thursday, in many cities all over the world, there have been protests against the Canadian plan to allow a sharia court for muslims in the Canadian province Ontario.
>
>This thread is MY protest against the Sharia Option in a western country. I ask the Canadian members of the UT to do the best they can to prevent this to happen.

I'll probably be one of the few (maybe the only one) that doesn't think this is the worst idea in the legal history of Canada.

With, of course, certain provisos!

1. ALL parties involved must willingly agree to this. If there is any doubt about coercion the case should go to Canadian courts.

2. The cases must be civil and not criminal.

3. The court decision must be legal under Canadian law. I don't mean that the case must have been decided the same way (otherwise, what's the point), but that the punishment, etc. must not be illegal (stoning, for example)

I would extend this to allowing allowing a Jewish court (Bet Din), or that of any other religion.

I firmly believe that freedom of religion includes the right to practice one's religion as long as you don't intrude on anybody else's beliefs (no prayer in school) or violate civil laws (no stoning). This freedom includes the right to have a religious tribunal decide matters in which the state has no standing as an involved party.