Polygamy in the Fast Lane
by David J. Rusin
Mon, 7 Apr 2008 at 12:13 PM
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Courts have heard it all from people trying to wiggle out of traffic offenses — or so we thought. Last week a defendant charged with speeding broke new ground in Scotland:
One motorist offered what must be a unique reason why he should keep his license.
Mohammed Anwar said a ban would make it difficult to commute between his two wives and fulfill his matrimonial duties.
His lawyer told a Scottish court the Muslim restaurant owner has one wife in Motherwell and another in Glasgow — he is allowed up to four under his religion — and sleeps with them on alternate nights.
Anwar was clocked at 64 mph in a 30 mph zone, an offense that is sufficient for license revocation. In a saner world, the man's excuse would have been laughed out of court.
However, that did not happen: "Anwar admitted the offense, but Sheriff John C. Morris accepted his plea not to be banned and allowed him to keep his license. Instead, he was fined £200 and given six penalty points."
Leniency for DWP — driving while polygamous — may seem comical, but it illustrates an important point. The acceptance of Shari'a principles is unlikely to occur through sweeping government decrees. Rather, normalization will unfold incrementally via the tacit consent of authorities.
While officials have long looked the other way as some Western Muslims engage in polygamy, the current trend involves more active recognition. For example, Britain has given the green light for Muslim men with multiple wives to claim additional welfare benefits; a similar arrangement exists in Ontario, Canada.
The Scottish case is yet another step. Allahpundit asks the pertinent questions:
Since when do state judges cut people slack for practices that violate public policy? … The court has discretion, but why exercise that discretion in favor of rewarding a practice upon which the population frowns? What am I missing?
What he misses — at least rhetorically — is that many people, even those with a duty to enforce our laws, are timid about defending Western standards for fear of being branded as bigots.
Sheriff Morris, Islamist Watch has just ticketed you for speeding toward Shari'a.
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