Islamic rules are incompatible with British laws, claims Archbishop of Canterbury

ISLAMIC rules are incompatible with British laws which have developed over 500 years and sharia law should never become part of the British legal system, the Archbishop of Canterbury has declared.Justin Welby also claimed that British law has “underlying values and assumptions” that come from a clearly Christian tradition.

Archbishop Welby set out his reasons why sharia should not win official status in Britain in his book, called ’Reimagining Britain’.

He said: “Sharia law is not just about punishments.

“It is something of immense sophistication, but it comes from a very different background of jurisprudence to the one from which British law has developed over the past 500 years.”

His comments have come after the release of a Home Office report earlier this month that said all couples marrying in mosques should also have to go through a legally-binding civil marriage ceremony to protect wiveIn his book, the Archbishop claimed the right of people to choose their own husband or wife, and the need for monogamous relationships was challenged by some of the British muslim population.

The Archbishop said: “There has been and remains a demand for the introduction of those aspects of sharia law that affect family and inheritance.

“The problem is reimagining Britain through values applied in action can only work where the narrative of the country is coherent and embracing.

“Sharia, which has a powerful and ancient cultural narrative of its own, deeply embedded in a system of faith and understanding of God, and thus especially powerful in forming identity, cannot become part of another narrative.

“Accepting it in part implies accepting its values around the nature of the human person, attitudes to outsiders, the revelation of God, and a basis for life in law, rather than grace, the formative word of Christian culture.

“They face enormous pressures and need one legal basis of oversight and one philosophical foundation of understanding.

“For these reasons, I am especially sympathetic towards those Islamic groups that do not seek the application of sharia law into the family and inheritance law of this country.”

There are believed to be approximately 85 sharia tribunals in the UK which settle disputes over matters concerning issues such as divorce and business among those who are willing to accept their jurisdiction.

However, concerns have been raised over how women are treated when appearing before sharia tribunals.

The Home Office sharia review, carried out by academic Mona Siddiqui, found that some of the tribunals operate discriminatory rules.

The review found that men can divorce simply by demanding one, whilst women are often obliged to pay large sums to do so.

Duchess of Cambridge launches new campaign to raise self-esteem of kids

The Duchess of Cambridge is launching a new mental health campaign to encourage children “to be comfortable in their own skin”.

In a specially-recorded video message, the duchess will also call upon parents and teachers to “give children the emotional strength” they need to “fulfil their true potential”.

Her intervention comes amid a push to identify mental illness early in schools and offset problems in adulthood. It is feared children are suffering from low self-esteem exacerbated by pressures placed upon them on social media.
The duchess’s comments were recorded to promote the children’s charity Place2Be, of which she is patron, and coincide with Children’s Mental Health Week 2018.

The charity runs effective counselling services in schools.

In the recorded message, the duchess, who is pregnant with her third child, said: “Childhood is an incredibly important moment in our lives.

“It is the time when we explore our personalities, discover the potential that lies within us and learn how to be ourselves.

“Our experience of the world at this early stage helps to shape who we become as adults, how we begin to feel comfortable in our own skin.”

The duchess has - along with Prince William and Prince Harry - thrust mental health to the forefront of their charitable work. The trio have been heavily involved in the Heads Together campaign - highlighted by the Telegraph - while last month the duchess said in a landmark speech that her “own commitment is to the youngest and most vulnerable in their early years - babies, toddlers and school-children”.

The new, recorded message ties in with a new campaign by Place2Be - called Being Ourselves - which helps youngsters tackle low self-esteem and create a positive images of themselves.

Some children compare themselves negatively to others, especially online, according to Place2Be.

The duchess, who has been a Place2Be patron since 2013, filmed the video message during last month’s visit to Reach Academy Feltham, west London. She spoke to pupils, parents and teachers about the impact of the scheme which tries to spot potential problems early and give support in familiar surroundings.

Low self-esteem affects more than eight in 10 of the pupils who get Place2Be’s one-to-one help. According to the charity, the back-up it gives can help boost confidence and enable children to cope better in and out of school.

The duchess said: “Some children will be facing tougher challenges than others, but I firmly believe that while we cannot change their circumstances, we can ensure that every child is given the best possible support to ensure they fulfil their true potential.

“This is best achieved when we, the adults in their lives, work together to give children the emotional strength they need to face their futures and thrive

“Whether we are school leaders, teachers, support staff or parents, we each have a role to play.

“When we are open and honest with each other about the challenges we face, we can work together to ensure the children in our care have the chance to become the best version of themselves.”


Catherine Roche, Place2Be chief executive, said: “We know from our work in schools that some children find it difficult to think of themselves positively, as it’s all too easy nowadays to compare ourselves negatively to others, especially online.

“This Children’s Mental Health Week we are encouraging everyone, and especially children and young people, to focus on what makes them who they are, and to celebrate their unique qualities and strengths.

“We’ll all face difficult times in our lives, but helping children to have a positive view of themselves can help them find the inner strength and resilience to cope with those challenges.”