Sharia Law in London

I find myself in an unusual position in that I'm agreeing with the Daily Mail, a newspaper I'm often at odds with. I read their article about radical Muslim preachers placing the London district of Waltham Forest under Sharia law. These radicals and their younger male followers are reportedly on local patrols, reminding people of their manifesto outlined in the flyer above.

While totally unenforceable and completely irrelevant legally it still represents a growing concern. While the Daily Mail dislikes this because of its stance on immigration and nationalism, I am alarmed simply because these "laws" are based on an immoral theological foundation.

Sharia is distinctly resonant of Old Testament morality: the stoning of adulterers, degradation of women and suppression of free speech. While some moral laws proposed are almost admirable, like the condemnation of murder, others are largely unnecessary in a 21st century city. Take for example the banning of alcohol and gambling. Sure, they cause problems, but not enough to merit their removal from society! People really enjoy them and rarely with negative consequences.

They even outlaw porn because some 5th century madman said it was bad. I can't understand it. I think Stephen Fry puts it well, "sex is fun, it's jolly and people enjoy it. It's a lot like food in that respect. The only people who are obsessed with food are the anorexic and the morbidly obese. And that, ladies and gentlemen, is religion in a nutshell." Provided it's safe (sharia condemns contraception, especially on the part of the female) and consenting, sex is perfectly ok.

I should note that these hate-mongers are a minority. The majority of Muslims in targeted areas don't condone the extremists' actions.

I'm surprised people like this go so public, I echo the thoughts of the Daily Mail journalist when I fear an attack like the one in Norway from these people on the city.