And British justice is to become more Islamic (NOT)

I was disappointed to hear BOTH speakers on the National Radio panel getting in a flap about the supposed creeping Sharification of Britain, in this instance the issuing guidelines to lawyers to aid the drawing up of 'Sharia compliant' wills:

Under ground-breaking guidance, produced by The Law Society, High Street solicitors will be able to write Islamic wills that deny women an equal share of inheritances and exclude unbelievers altogether. 

The documents, which would be recognised by Britain’s courts, will also prevent children born out of wedlock – and even those who have been adopted – from being counted as legitimate heirs. 

Anyone married in a church, or in a civil ceremony, could be excluded from succession under Sharia principles, which recognise only Muslim weddings for inheritance purposes. 

Nicholas Fluck, president of The Law Society, said the guidance would promote “good practice” in applying Islamic principles in the British legal system. Here

Much nonsense has been spouted about this in an impressively short space of time, and not just by the people on the panel. The Telegraph article goes on to quote people claiming "Suffragette's would be spinning in their graves" ans so on, so forth. Others are banging on - as usual - about how this represents yet another concession to MUSLIMS and HALOWED BRITISH TRADITIONS are being ERODED by POLITICAL CORRECTNESS that has of course GONE MAD and so on, so on.

 Of course, they say that about everything when Muslims are involved. Sometimes they might even be correct. But not on this occasion.

As even a moments reflection will reveal, there is no special right being extended to Muslims. the Law Society does not have the power to change laws.

What is actually happening is that lawyers are being asked by clients to draw up wills, and they are doing that. Some of their clients are Muslims and want to draw up their wills in accordance with their own crackpot beliefs. Because most lawyers are not Muslim, doing that is quite difficult.

 So the Law Society has issued some instructions on how to do it.

 But - important bit - no special license or privilege has been extended to Muslims that would not apply to anyone else drawing up a will. If I wanted to exclude my wife from my will, or my sons if they turn out GAY, or leave everything to my cat because I believe her to be a higher being, then I have that right. There is nothing stopping me, apart from the fact that I am mostly sane.

Muslims - like all religious types - are a bit less so, and think nothing odd about settling their affairs as per instructions issued by a warlord 1500 years ago. So be it. We can all do that, and we could all have done that before these guidelines were issued.