Austria Allows Sharia Law in Private Contracts

Austria has granted permission for the use of Islamic Sharia law in private

contracts. Yes, you heard me correctly, Sharia

law is now permissible in Austria.

This controversial decision means that Sharia can now be used for

arbitration purposes should both contract parties agree on it.

Obviously, this has caused uproar in Austria,

with criticism

from those who feel that it furthers the Islamization of

Austria.

Manfred Heimbuchner, an MP for the far right

Austrian Freedom Party, said, "Sharia law is

incompatible with the Austrian understanding of law and

violates all moral standards that I'm familiar with.

Unfortunately, our constitutional state is currently powerless

against this form of Islam." But it's not just the far right in

opposition. Interestingly, the Turkish Cultural

Community, which is an association of secular Turks

in

Austria, said that the decision to recognize Sharia

as

law is in stark contrast to the European Court of

Human Rights 2003 decision that Sharia

law and the resulting introduction of a parallel legal system

were forbidden in Europe. Whilst it seems that

initially Sharia law will only be permissible should both parties

agree to it in a private setting, I think it's really important to

recognize that if you had told someone ten years ago that Sharia

law would seep its way into European parliaments and governments,

we would have laughed at you. So who knows where we will be and where

Sharia will be in ten years' time in Europe.

And whilst some rush to defend Sharia, they refuse to point out

the many laws which violate every code of conduct when it comes to

human rights. For example, as per Surah 5:38,

the punishment for theft is amputation of the hand, and yes, that

actually happens in many Middle Eastern countries.

If you're married and you commit adultery, the punishment as per a hadith

is death by stoning. But if you're not married

and you commit adultery,

you just receive 100 lashes as per Quran 24:2.

If you commit apostasy and decide to leave Islam,

Sharia calls for

execution, and if you dare, dare consume

alcohol, you're punished with between 40

and 80 lashes

as directed by a hadith. Oh, and blasphemy such as

insulting Muhammad carries the death penalty, and

this is what's being welcomed in Europe. Good on you, Austria.