UAE | Heritage and Culture
Sharia is fair and just legal system, conference told
In an unprecedented conference, a Muslim delegation made up of academics and judges, presented to 32 nations including the US, Australia and France why Islamic Sharia law is a just and fair legal system that is equivalent to any other system of justice.
- By Marten Youssef, Staff Reporter
- Published: 00:34 March 25, 2008
Abu Dhabi: In an unprecedented conference, a Muslim delegation made up of academics and judges, presented to 32 nations including the US, Australia and France why Islamic Sharia law is a just and fair legal system that is equivalent to any other system of justice.
"The principles of the Quran call for peace and justice. It calls to respect one another's religions and diversity. It urges us to keep our word and to live an honest life. This is a way of life," Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of Sudan Jalal Al Din Uthman, said on Monday in Abu Dhabi.
Sanctity of human life
Uthman went on to argue that Sharia is successful because of its ability to make its rules binding.
Professor Dr Jasem Ali Al Shamsi, Dean of the Law Faculty at the UAE university in Al Ain, presented the delegates with the Sharia's presumption of innocence.
"The presumption of innocence and the sanctity of human life" was in the Quran and the Sharia long before it was placed in the Universal Declaration of Human Life.
The delegates presented how Islamic values in the Sharia are being adopted by businesses such as HSBC and Citigroup to implement Islamic banking. However just and fair the Sharia may be, Sir Gerard Brennan a former Chief Justice in Australia cannot see it being implemented in his country.
"It has been very fascinating for me to hear these presentations. I can tell you that with the diversity of Australia it would be a far-fetched ambition to think that Sharia would be implemented there."
For many of the Muslim countries that attended the two-day conference, Sharia law is already implemented in their judicial system. The delegation also discussed the new challenges before the judicial system in the 21st century.
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