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| Anti-sharia campaigner Maryam Namazie in Sydney yesterday. |
Australia - IN Britain, Maryam Namazie's campaign against sharia law has earned her plenty of hate mail. But what really bothers her is the silence of parts of the media and the inaction by the British government over what she says are sharia's attacks on the fundamental rights of Britain's Muslim citizens. Her group, One Law for All, has been fighting since 2008 to stop what she describes as the rise of political Islamism in Britain. She is in Australia for a week-long speaking tour in the hope of helping ensure this country learns from the mistakes of Britain, where sharia tribunals enjoy a form of legal recognition in family law. "You are facing quite a lot of similar issues in Australia. It might not be as entrenched as it is in Britain, but you can see a lot of similarities," Ms Namazie said. Her arrival comes soon after Ikebal Patel, president of the Australian Federation of Islamic Councils, called for Australia to "compromise with Islam" and introduce "legal pluralism". After a backlash within the Muslim community, Mr Patel backed down, saying it had been a mistake to mention sharia law and legal pluralism. Ms Namazie, who is an Iranian exile, said any form of legal accommodation with sharia "is like trying to incorporate apartheid into a non-racist system of law -- they are simply incompatible". As a long-term British resident, Ms Namazie's views on the rise of Islamism are based on direct experience. Her group, One Law for All, was responsible for founding another group known as the Ex-Muslims of Britain. Full Story>>
British campaigner battles media's code of silence on sharia law http://www.theaustralian.com.au/national-affairs/british-campaigner-battles-medias-cone-of-silence-on-sharia-law/story-fn59niix-1226119994024
