Alan,

>>>>>Walter, I think you are missing Dan's point. Would you accept sharia law even if only for muslims in Holland. In principle do you think sharia law is ok for those who wish to live under it in Holland?
>>>>
>>>>I think that legal systems within legal systems aren't that uncommon. You become a member of a club, or sign a contract with some entity, and the membership rules or contract clauses pretty much become law for those who signed.
>>>>
>>>>However, there's a huge difference in status - once a specific group's internal laws are recognized as laws, they become much more than club rules. If such a status change was allowed anywhere, that'd be, IMO, a mouse hole through which elephants can walk later. It's the beginning of the end of the "everyone is equal in court" axiom.
>>>
>>>Well said. I was also thinking about how Walter would feel to see the first stoning for adultery in a public square in Amsterdam? But involving only those who wanted to live under sharia, of course.
>>
>>
>>You missed the point entirely. Any implementation of the sharia (except in a very few countries like Iran, saudi ariabia and nigeria) could not violate the national law. IOW if it were to be implemented (I don't agree with) it would never conflict the national law (read about the ontario implementation). If any of the parties involved in an issue disagrees with the outcome they can escalate the issue to the national law.
>>
>>walter,
>
>Walter, there is no Ontario Implimentation. It was shot down. Rightfully so, imho.

I meant the proposed implementation.
>
>You said in another post that we need to look at this not from a western pov. The problem is that we are a western nation. Why would somebody immigrating to a western thinking nation expect the people of that nation to suddenly stop seeing things from a western pov. Thinking from a western pov is made us what we are - a country into which others want to immigrate.

I agree in that. However, having all kinds of comments on the sharia and refer to human rights at those countries that have implemented that, is way over the edge. If you want to look at issues in other countries you'll have to look with eyes of their culture and not with our western eyes. That is the biggest mistake the western world makes currently. We like to judge everyting from a western perspective without respecting other cultures.

Walter,