7/7 - 7 years on

Date: 08 July 2012 19:05:34

A retrospective

Seven years ago, on 7th July 2005, four bombs went off on public transport in London. The bombers came from West Yorkshire. Relations between the Asian communities and the indigenous populations were strained for a while.

The Archbishop and Sharia Law

Two and a half years later the Archbishop of Canterbury said that the adoption of some aspects of Sharia law "seems unavoidable" in the UK. (Source BBC) The Archbishop's comments opened up debate. I was able to debate this with Muslim friends. The impression I got, particularly from first generation immigrants, was that Sharia law, particularly as practised by Imams in areas where the 7/7 bombers came from, is too controlling, they are not allowed the freedoms that they would have in Pakistan.

Conclusion

Was the Archbishop wrong? I said so at the time. But then an intellectual such as Rowan Williams moves in very different circles to me. He speaks to other intellectuals, I speak to people on the shop floor and lower management. Hindsight is a great thing, enough time has gone since the archbishop spoke out and the debate started by his remarks have led to understanding between the indiginous British and the Muslim communities. Muslims are not seen to any large extent as terrorists any more except by those in extreme organisations. What Dr Williams has said has done a good thing... and I still disagree with him.