Greetings to all,

I would like to invite opinions about whether Shariah Law would be beneficial if introduced in Britain (or perhaps other non-Muslim countries). Since I live in Britain, that is the society I am most familiar with, so I shall be thinking of the question from a British perspective. Of course, I'm sure many people here on the forum will know much more about Shariah Law than I do, so I look forward to learning more about it.

I have already stated on another thread that I would not be happy with a Shariah Law system in this country. Here are the reasons I have given for this view:

1. Capital punishment. Either killing is wrong, or it isn't. To say that it is wrong for a member of the public to kill, but that it is permissible for the state to kill that person seems to me to be hypocritical.

2. Punishment for theft. I believe that cutting off someone's hand is barbaric. Simple as that.

3. Banning of all intoxicants. I believe that everyone should have the right to use any intoxicant at all, if that is their wish. Contrary to current British law, I believe that all drugs should be legalised forthwith.

These are the main reasons why I would oppose the introduction of Shariah law in Britain. While I think the current British legal system is far from perfect, I do not think Shariah law would be a valid solution.

I have one question:

What would be the legal status of music and other art forms under Shariah law? Would music be banned, as it was (is?) in Iran? How about artworks which are perceived to be contrary or insulting to Islam, such as Salman Rushdie's "The Satanic Verses"?

I'm sure we could have a useful discussion on this topic, and I look forward (once again) to learning more about Islamic views in this regard.

Peace