Tuesday, February 26, 2008

Sharia and history

I read an article recently that reminded me of the practice of suttee in India. When faced with the prospect of a two tear legal system General Napier had a clear response.

....any chronicle of Britain's past is his response to the suggestion that the practice of suttee be allowed to continue, as part of a sort of “parallel jurisdiction” to the law he was asked to police as the Commander-in-Chief of the Queen's Forces in India. Napier listened politely to the request and replied: “You say that it is your custom to burn widows. Very well. We also have a custom: when men burn a woman alive, we tie a rope around their necks and we hang them. Build your funeral pyre; beside it, my carpenters will build a gallows. You may follow your custom. And then we will follow ours.”

It is sad as Michael Gove notes that our leaders have a limited knowledge of history.

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Saturday blog-sweep

 Some interesting books for pastors The State we're in Attack at dawn Joseph Scriven Joy comes with the morning When small is beautiful