We must each strongly and unequivocally demand one equal law for everyone - both here in the UK and abroad
There are many reasons why this needs to be said, starting with a personal trigger. I was recently interviewed by Channel 4’s 4though.tv programme about my opinions on sharia in Britain.
Out of seven people interviewed, I was the only one who was against sharia and for a secular state.
My interview has subsequently triggered a debate in Sudanese media, both at home and in the diaspora, from which campaigns have emerged inciting people against me, calling me a ‘Kafira’ (infidel) and ‘Murtadda’ (a person who has left Islam) .
The Facebook page of the Sudanese Armed Forces’ has also posted my picture, declaring me an infidel and a apostate.
I strongly oppose sharia law as well as any other religiously-based laws because I deeply believe in secular, humanist values that put each human being on a par with every other individual.
International human rights are a testament to this and stand directly opposed to the discriminatory practices enshrined in and justified by sharia law.
It is important that we secularists demand not only a secular Britain but also a secular Middle East, North Africa and world.
We have witnessed in the last two years a grand hijacking by Islamists of the achievements of civil society in the Middle East. Not only that, but here in Britain there are now 85 sharia councils implementing sharia law on the streets of London, Birmingham, Bradford and elsewhere.
Sharia discriminates against women (and Muslim women specifically). Compared to feminist victories elsewhere, women are still not considered equal in most Islamic settings.
Brutal examples of sharia in action include punishment by stoning for certain “crimes”, such as that of Iranian Skineh Ashtiagi, who was accused of having a relationship outside of an ‘Islamic contract marriage’, or the public flogging of Sudanese Lubna Husain, for her un-Islamic dress.
Here in the UK, a study conducted by the One Law for All campaign found that four out of 10 women in sharia court cases have been party to civil injunctions issued against their husbands on the grounds of violence.
Sharia discriminates against children. Not only does it affect children when they are young, but the implications last their entire life.
Under sharia a girl is eligible for marriage as soon as she begins her first period. This makes it difficult to maintain a minimum age for girls to be married.
Sharia discriminates against homosexuals. Homosexuality is forbidden in most Islamic states with punishments ranging from a fine or public flogging to life Imprisonment.
Ten Islamic states impose a death penalty for homosexuals, including Iran, Mauritania, Nigeria, Pakistan, Saudi-Arabia, Somalia, Sudan, Iraq, Yemen and some states in Malaysia. In 2011, governmental driven gangs have been killing gays across Iraq.
Sharia discriminates against non-Muslims as well as other sects within Islam. Under sharia, no one is allowed to force someone to convert to Islam. However, someone who is born into an Islamic family will grow up with extreme social pressure from their family to stay within Islam.
For example, non-Muslim men (except Jewish and Christians) cannot marry Muslim women, while children of non-Muslim women cannot adopt their religion.
Sharia discriminates against non-believers, atheists and apostates.
I have seared in my memory the brutal persecutions and executions of many atheists and scientists for the “crime” of critical thinking.
Cases such as Iranian Ali Ghorabat for apostasy, Jafar Kazemi and Mohammad Ali Haj Aghaie for enmity against God, Sudanese theologian Mahmoud M. Taha for his progressive Islamic views and Egyptian Nasr H. Abu Zaid are examples of the widespread persecution of people who dare to question blind belief.
Being an atheist and an ex-Muslim should have been a private matter for me under a secular state.
However, under an ‘Islamic Inquisition’, as fellow secular campaigner Maryam Namazi describes, it is necessary for minority groups, especially those who are persecuted, to publicly air our views and call for equal treatment because this persecution will not end until we stand together and speak out.
I have chosen to speak out on Channel 4 and in many other venues in the UK because I cannot stand by and watch others suffer the same discrimination and persecution that I have faced.
My stand is about supporting freedom of expression, freedom of religion or no-religion. I stand for human rights in order to support equal rights for all citizens despite our gender, age, sexuality, religion or ethnicity.
I believe this is everyone’s battle, including progressive, secular and liberal Muslims.
We must, each of us, strongly and unequivocally demand one equal law for everyone – both here in the UK and abroad.
32 Responses to “Comment: Sharia Law has no place in Britain or anywhere else”
FGFM
Decent!
Newsbot9
And the law is very plain – civil issues can be settled under a mutually agreed ruleset. There are safeguards to this, but…
Gita Sahgal
Nahla Mahmoud, I would be honoured if you came to the meeting that the Centre for Secular Space is organising to launch our book ‘Double Bind: the Muslim Right, the Anglo-American Left and Universal Human Rights’. It is at Toynbee Hall, 28 Commercial St, London E1 nr Aldgate East tube., and starts at 7pm Speakers Ansar Ahmdedullah, Maryam Namazie, Pragna Patel and Meredith Tax( the author ) of the book. Others welcome too.. To register please email.
Nahla
Hi Omer,
I have accredited your opinion as a guy right activist strongly opposing sharia law. afraid the Left Foot Forward cut that part out as well as many other background details and intro’s to my ideas, which i believe were all quite important….i have rewritten them to add these parts back. on the other hand, I didn’t really count Christian evangelist views as his opposition to sharia was based on religious grounds. he thinks the christian rules would be a better alternative. so doesn’t really count as in favor of a secular state, just changing terrible rules to less worse.
Best wishes and keep up the great work ,
Mohamed Sam
I’m deeply sorry about the way you feel about Islam, sharia law and religion in general. I was born in Sudan and my family a religious Sufi background. But I was raised outside of Sudan with my parents travelling all over the world from USA, UK to several secular and Islamic countries. From a young age I was exposed to both worlds and in my youth till my late 20s I was rebellious. I drank, dated, partied and believed religion was a waste of time. I thought it was strict and strangled my freedom with no obvious gains. I had and still have gay friends, and believe male or female we all have to potential to do good in this world for ourselves and others. But I took time to reflect .. read and understand what is Islam and even more who is god. I went further than the superficial stereotype that you describe from media mad few examples of what some people do in the name of religion. Be it Muslims, Christians , Jews or many other religions. I am deeply proud to be Muslim and feel lucky and given a second chance to see it in a different light. I’m happy to talk to you further about this. But holding fanatic views on anything religious or atheistic I believe holds back as humans. I think one place to start is asking yourself, who is god, why am I or any of us here and what is our purpose in life. Humanism is a too simplistic solution and explanation. But please take time to read the Quran, preferably in Arabic and form your own views instead of taking other people interpretations as fact and law. And Inshalah .. god willing you will find your answers. You can brush me aside and say I know .. I read and I spoke about Islam to different sources. But I want this to be different, open your heart and find for a few hours and read.
Salam and may god guide you.
This isn’t to antagonist you but I genuinely wish you find guidance, if you want answers.