Call For Incorporating Sharia Into International Law

CAIRO, April 30 (IslamOnline.net) - World Muslim scholars meeting in Cairo urged incorporation of Sharia into the International Law to avoid eruption of more crises or other forms of injustice.

"Some western researchers have found out that Islamic principles could be used to develop the International Law and incorporate its moral values into it," said Jaafar Abdel-Salam, the secretary general of the Islamic Universities Association.

He was speaking at the International Islamic Conference, held in Cairo from April 28 till May 1 under the title of "Tolerance in Islamic Civilization".

Addressing the sixteenth session of the Conference, Abdel-Salam, himself a professor of International Law, said the application of Sharia along with the International Law would help set up a world system "turning countries closer to each other".

"Islam, with its practices, is the best of international systems that could achieve peace," said Mohamed Dissouki, an International Law professor at Al-Azhar University, in the conference.

Abdel-Salam also stressed that the role of the United Nations should be enhanced and its system modified to prevent domination of specific countries.

He was referring to the veto power wielded by the five permanent members of the U.N. Security Council; the United States, Russia, China, France and Britain.

Dissouki, was of the same mind.

"The International Law has recently tilted towards unequal treatment of people, as some agreements turned into valueless pieces of paper when they came against the interests of such a super power as the United States," he lamented.

Islam, on the other hand, deeply respects vows, treaties and agreements and warns against the serious consequences of their violation, Dissouki averred.

He cited that the United States had enforced its veto power in the Security Council several times of the year, mostly to kill draft resolutions condemning Israel for aggressions against the Palestinians.

In September, the U.S. employed its veto to kill an Arab-driven resolution condemning Israel for its decision to expel Palestinian President Yasser Arafat.

On October 14, the U.S. vetoed a Syrian-proposed U.N. Security Council resolution condemning Israel for continuing its construction of the separation wall, which snakes through the Palestinian territories in the West Bank.

Ending Fatwa Battle

The participants also urged Muslim scholars to end their conflict on a number of social and jurisprudence-related issues.

Essam al-Bashir, the Sudanese Minister of Waqfs (Endowments), said the "battle" between scholars on fatwas or religious edicts should be settled.

"This weakens their edicts. We should adopt a moderate trend away from this wrangle" on hot issues, Bashir said.

Muslim scholars, however, heaped blame on western media outlets for an "unfair" campaign against Islam.

"Showing Islam as an enemy - in place of communism - of the west stocked up sentiments of hatred, bias and discrimination against the religion and its followers," said Mohamed Youssef, from the Islamic organization of Latin America.

Youssef lamented that the Muslim communities in Latin America mostly feel the need to boost religious awareness, increase the number of Islamic schools and make swift and permanent contact with the Islamic world.

Mohamed El-Masri, of the Canadian Islamic Congress, said Muslims need to change, not Islam.

"Islam is a religion of reform. What rather needs change is its followers," Masri said, urging Muslims to regain power for effectively dealing with current issues.

"In Europe, where the number of Muslims are noticeably growing, they are in need for guidance," said Ismail Amin, the imam of al-Aqsa Mosque.

Canadian judges soon will be enforcing Islamic law, or Sharia, in disputes between Muslims, possibly paving the way to one day administering criminal sentences, such as stoning women caught in adultery.

Muslims are required to submit to Sharia in Muslim societies but are excused in nations where they live as a minority under a non-Muslim government.

Canada, however, is preparing for its 1 million-strong Muslim minority to be under the authority of a Sharia system enforced by the Canadian court system, according to the Canadian Law Times.

Muslim delegates at a conference in Etobicoke, Ont., in October elected a 30-member council to establish the Islamic Institute of Civil Justice.

The institute is classified in Islamic law as a Darul-Qada, or judicial tribunal. Its bylaws are scheduled to be drafted and approved by Dec. 31.

Cases will be decided by a Muslim arbitrator, but the local secular Canadian court will be the enforcer.

One of the obstacles to establishing the system, the Law Times said, has been the Muslim communities' lack of unity and organizational strength. Muslims in Canada come from many different countries and different schools of Islam. Also, there are few Islamic legal scholars, known as ulama, in North America, which are essential to adjudicating complex issues.

"It seems as if the community was looking forward to something like this," says organizer B. Husain Bhayat, according to the Law Times. "If all groups are represented, with hard work and the unity we saw here, we will have no difficulty going forward."

The two main streams of Islam, Sunni and Shi'ite, were represented at the conference, along with imams and leaders of organizations.