The Archbishops use of Beth Din to justify sharia demonstrates his complete lack of understanding of Jewish Orthodoxy, and is, ultimately, an insult, to Judaism. Jews have always submitted to the law of the land where ever they migrated. The Orthodox take only religious matters to the Beth Din. If a mutilations, beatings or “honor crimes” were reported to this community, the rabbis would be obligated to report these crimes to the proper legal authorities. As Mr. Hitchens acknowledges, Jews, in general, do follow British law. Contary to the Jewish way, many Muslim’s disregard human rights and national laws by protecting criminal British citizens in their own courts. The Archbishops is either being willfully ignorant or duplicitous in citing the Jewish courts to justify Muslim human rights abuse.

Certainly not all Muslims have trouble accommodating national laws; mostly Wahabite courts, purveyors of a fundamentalist and convoluted version of sharia, are the ones who most often run afoul of the law of the land. Under Wahabi understanding, women are often treated as no more than chattel. As Abraham Lincoln stated almost 150 years ago, a house divided cannot stand. British law must be for all citizens or none. The same holds true for the United States of America.

As for religionist coming to America, Muslims are welcome here to practice freely; but freedom is not license. All who join our community, our nation, are compelled to follow the laws of this nation. No exceptions to state of federal laws allow Mormons to practice polygamy. No special rules allow followers of Santeria to practice ritual slaughter and sacrifice of animals. No public good is achieved when a nation makes exceptions for religious practices that are, in any way, intolerant of basic human rights. The laws are to protect all people, from the strongest to the weakest, especially the weakest.