Sharia Law Demo outside Canadian High Commission Thurs 8th Sept 2005

 World-wide demonstrations were held 8 Sept last year to oppose the introduction of civil Sharia Law (‘arbitration’) into the Canadian legal system. In London, the protest was held in Grosvenor Square from 12-2pm led

by human rights campaigners and secularists. One Law For All was there as can be seen in this clip(MP4).

There were several speakers representing the secular movement, including IHEU’s (International Humanist and Ethical Union) Executive Director, Babu Gogineni. Also represented – by human rights campaigner Peter Tatchell – was Outrage! Here is another short cameraphone clip and a couple of sound clips.
Peter Tatchell Sharia.MP4
Tatchell Sharia Speech1 AMR
Tatchell Sharia Speech2 AMR
What was interesting is that victory came so quickly afterwards on 11 Sept. Also interesting was Premier Dalton McGuinty’s choice of words, given our prominent banner that day in London (and also held aloft at other protests);

“There will be no Shariah law in Ontario.
There will be no religious arbitration in Ontario.
There will be one law for all Ontarians.”

Epicurus – one of the representatives that day – later received a letter from the Premier in reply to one he had written (we will post it soon). The wording shows that sustained reasoned protest does work in that some politicians – at least in Canada – listen to the people and really do listen to arguments. The Premier had originally set up an enquiry to look into the matter and then 3 days after the world-wide peaceful protests and sustained campaign changed his mind, saying ‘The debate’s gone on long enough…’ This also meant that Catholic and Jewish arbitration which had been allowed from the early 1990’s would also be disestablished from the Canadian legal process. If the French Government can say One Law For All regarding secular education and enforce no overt religious symbols in schools, and the Ontarian Premier can say One Law For All regarding the courts then why can’t the British Government?
Premier McGuinty outlaws Sharia arbitration