Should this really be an issue of "personal shariah law" or one of getting the government and law out of our lives as much as possible. We are all free to live to our own standards where those standards do not conflict with the law. To some extent the author makes this point anyway.

I do get concerned about exemptions to the law on the basis of a religious belief.

If the basis for a law is so weak that the law can be put aside on the basis of a religious belief then the law should not be enforced upon anybody, it is an unnecessary inteference in individual freedom rather than a necessity to keep society functioning. Those who really want the law can live by it themselves without compelling others to live by it.

The author uses the example of polygamy in her article. That raises the question - are there valid reasons why society and the law should have any say in the arrangements people make between themselves about "marriage", if there are then those should not be varied because of a religious belief (and the author does not ask that they should be), if there are not valid reasons then the law should not involve itself in those matters. What business is it of mine how many people are involved in a marriage as long as they are consenting adults?

R0bert

To all

In my view, this article is akin to being "half pregnant". No need to say anything else.

Cheers
Kay

My sadness for the author is almost beyond description.

To turn away from Catholicism I can understand, with its formal and heirarchical authority structure. Personally I could not live with that. (but I'm happy for those who can to do so).

But to turn from Christ,.... to Mohammed ? It defies reason.

Mohammed-> Islam-> Sharia it all rests on the foundation of the man who (Like Joseph Smith of Latter Day Saints/Mormon infame) claimed to have special revelation from God.

The New testament teaches clearly

15"Watch out for false prophets. They come to you in sheep's clothing, but inwardly they are ferocious wolves. 16By their fruit you will recognize them. Do people pick grapes from thornbushes, or figs from thistles? 17Likewise every good tree bears good fruit, but a bad tree bears bad fruit.

What 'fruit' did Mohammed produce ?

-Married a child of 9 when he was 50+
-Cut the hands and feet of some criminals, after gouging out their eyes, and left them to die slowly.
-Urged torture of those who would not tell where the treasure of the city was
-Forced his adopted son to divorce his wife so he could have her himself
-Slaughtered 600-900 males of the Banu Qurayza Jews who had already surrendered.

by their 'fruit' you shall know them.

Author.. please come to this forum and explain just how you managed to filter out all of the above regarding this so called prophet, and give your life to advocacy for him ?

How could you turn away from the Good Shepherd ?
How could you deny Christ ? (He who denies me before men, I will deny before my Father in Heaven)

Do you even half realize what you have done ?

I urge you to re-consider, to return in humble repentance to the Author of life, to God in Christ. Be reconciled to Him.
Leave this path of darkness and spiritual oblivion you have chosen.

Remember, there is no Christian death penalty for apostacy as you have done, but under Sharia...there is.

Hi y'all
I find it interesting how all these posters know more about Islam and Sharia law than does the author, who works in researching and teaching law and Sharia law and Islam. I'd really like to see their diplomas some time. But then of course an ignorant opinion, a misinformed opinion, a bigoted opinion grabbed from some website somewhere must be worth at least as much as an informed educated and explanatory opinion based on primary sources and study, mustn't it.

It is wonderful how someone respectfully, patiently, and gently explains their knowledge of their faith and the law by which they feel called to live, and then is called a liar, a deceiver, a false prophet and an apostate. By their fruits ...

Respect, gentleness, patience were once explained to me to be the hallmarks of christian witness. I don't see them practised here by many posters. Perhaps they are not christian. Perhaps the Australian ethos of a fair go should be the standard. I don't see much of that either. It seems to me that some people would rather attack a Muslim woman than practice what they preach - by their fruits ...

odsoc

Australian law and Sharia Law are compatible? Here is the Ayatollah Khomeini, arguable Islam’s most respected jurist givng his adjudication on Sharia Law. From Khomeini's book, "Tahrirolvasyleh", fourth volume,

"A man can have sexual pleasure from a child as young as a baby. However he should not penetrate, sodomising the child is OK. If the man penetrates and damages the child then he should be responsible for her subsistence all her life. This girl, however does not count as one of his four permanent wives. The man will not be eligible to marry the girls sister."

"A man can have sex with animals such as sheep, cows, camels and so on. However he should kill the animal after he has his orgasm. He should not sell the meat to the people in his own village, however selling the meat to the next door village should be fine."

Then there is this gem from the Koran.

Quran 4:34: "Men are the maintainers of women because Allah has made some of them to excel others and because they spend out of their property; the good women are therefore obedient, guarding the unseen as Allah has guarded; and (as to) those on whose part you fear desertion, admonish them, and leave them alone in their sleeping places AND BEAT THEM; then if they obey you, do not seek a way against them; surely Allah is High, Great."

If you can laugh at Islam then you have got it beat. Pork and alcohol will become a halal foods before Australian law is reconciled to Islamic law.

odsoc: First one does not have to have a university degree to read about on many many web sites both islamic, news, etc. to see what a brutal, uncivilised, bloody pagan religion islam is. Seems to be ruled by savage, bloodthirsty, misogynistic tribal psychopaths.
You ask us to be nice to a pagan mob of sadistic animalistic murderers whose various leaders preach hatred to all other religions. Not only hatred but consider us with the Jews as pigs and monkeys fit only for death. Now I do not hate moslems - I pity them - but neither do I trust or believe them bacause of their al-taqiyya. Yet I deplore their brutal cult of a pagan religion which has and will continue to cause the deaths of many innocent unarmed men, women and children. As another has said to turn from Christianity to arrant stupid paganism is beyong belief. numbat