Canada takes another step toward dhimmitude: Use of Sharia law by Muslims okay, report says.

Ontario Muslims should have the same rights as other religious groups in the province to seek arbitration based on religious laws for family disputes and inheritance cases, concludes a report by former attorney general Marion Boyd.

Some Muslim groups called Boyd’s report “naive,” and said she fell victim to pressure from right-wing fundamentalists who want to use the 1,400-year-old Sharia law to settle divorces and custody disputes for Muslims in Ontario.

“We’re being very clear, this is not Sharia law,” said Boyd.

“This is Muslim religious principles within Canadian law.”

Boyd said her report avoided the term “Sharia” law because as practiced in Middle East countries it combines criminal and civil laws, and allows the death penalty for adultery. It also considers a woman’s testimony to be worth half that of a man’s.

“We’re talking about arbitration based on certain religious principles … similar to our Charter values of equality, freedom and justice,” she told reporters at a news conference.

“What exactly are these Muslim principles?” asked Tarek Fatah of the Muslim Canadian Congress.

“For her (Boyd) to come here and lecture Muslims as to what Muslim family law is, and Sharia is, is despicable and racist.” …

“Tomorrow in Tehran, in Jeddah, in Pakistan, in Kabul, in Sudan, every newspaper will say that Sharia has been approved by Canada,” predicted Fatah.

“They will not come to this press conference to hear, ‘Well, we’re not talking about Sharia, we’re talking Muslim principles.’ ”