No different laws for religious or ethnic groups: Shari'a Australia

Next we will be told that... well... calling for equality under the law... is actually racist!! It seems we have already entered the Shari'a twilight zone ~ where it is racist not to want Shari'a and to demand that we respect human rights, freedom and democracy ~ is seen as offensive.

We should operate a parallel law - sharia SMH - for people who don't believe in speed cameras..

The call by Zachariah Matthews for sharia to be introduced shows that he misunderstands one of the fundamental principles on which this country is based, namely the rule of law (''Muslim leader wants elements of sharia in Australia'', March 8).

Under that principle, all Australians are equal before the law, and the law applies equally to all Australians. To apply the law differently to some based on their religious affiliation or ethnic background would be contrary to this basic principle. It would also be unworkable in practice.

If a different set of laws were to be applied to Muslims it would be impossible to resist calls for separate laws for other religious groups, such as orthodox Jews, fundamentalist Christians or Buddhists. This could lead to a patchwork quilt of different laws applying to various religious or even ethnic groups, which would be divisive, unfair and contrary to this country's basic values.

If Dr Matthews doesn't like any aspect of Australian law, he has a right to advocate change, but he should not seek the application of a separate system of law.

Richard Moss Chisholm (ACT)

Zachariah Matthews says there is no fundamental clash between sharia and Australian law and values on custodial rights to children after divorce. He obviously has not examined Australian family law very closely. The decisions in Australia are based on what is best for the child, not the mother or the father. Children are not possessions.

The idea that either parent should have the ultimate say based on ''ownership'' is abhorrent.

Karen Weiss Bondi

Zachariah Matthews wants ''elements'' of sharia in Australia. Why? Well, as he states, so that men can have ultimate say over what happens to a child after separation, thereby smoothly and carefully subverting the Family Court and the rights of women. Our legal system is bad enough, based as it is on the rights of property, rather than people (to the detriment of women and children). Sharia in Australia? Never, never, never.

Jenny McGarry Bradbury

Zachariah Matthews is not calling for recognition of sharia in relation to significant issues such as corporal punishment or chopping off hands. He is only calling for it to be recognised for more insignificant matters such as taking away a mother's rights in relation to custody of her children and her ability to remarry after a divorce. Phew! He had me worried there for a minute.

Sarah Robertson East Lindfield

Zachariah Matthews argues that sharia could function as a parallel system ''in the same way that some traditional Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander law was recognised in the Northern Territory''. A key difference, and a strong element for rejecting his argument, is that, in contrast to the Muslim presence here, Aborigines are indigenous to Australia, and the Australian legal system came into being following European occupation.

Margeri Mather Woollahra

Your article failed to mentioned that Zachariah Matthews talked about sharia during a question and answer session. When the question was put to him, his response began: ''Being only 1.7 per cent of the population [in Australia], we have got Buckley's of it ever happening.'' The audience responded with laughter.

He then explained the limited areas in which Muslims could use sharia in Australia.

Now you have the complete report.

Faiza Khan Revesby Heights

Zachariah Matthew's suggestion should be acted upon the day after Saudi Arabia, Iran and a bunch of other similar theocracies introduce bits of British common law.

David Amies Sawtell

We should operate a parallel law - sharia SMH - for people who don't believe in speed cameras. People of this faith like going fast and surely society is sophisticated enough to allow a few of them to do as they like on the roads rather than obey mainstream rules. There is room for many parallel legal systems to operate in Australia - which brings me to those of us who don't believe in tax …

smh.com.au