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Marriage And Family : Examining The Conflict Between Sharia Law And Muslim Women

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Marriages and Family: Examining the Conflict Between the Sharia Law and Muslim Women Rights in Canada

Canada has welcomed many people from all over the world to become a part of its’ nation. It is no surprise that Canada is considered to be one of the most multicultural countries in the world. To continue to foster its strong multicultural identity, Canada tries to accommodate people from various religions, cultures, and ethnicities. Many implementations have been made to make the nation an inclusive society for its inhabitants. One of the many adaptations that the country has made concerning the growth of multiculturalism is the agreement of the Islamic (Sharia) law practice in Ontario - with the consent of both parties it can be used in
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2). So, religious practices can be viewed as acceptable in the eyes of its practitioners, but unacceptable by those observing the religion from the outside (mainstream Canadians). The Canadian laws, policies, and legislations have a unique approach to the practice of worship. It encourages religious groups to practice their faith not only in their private lives but also in public domains. For many years, Ontario has been permitting pluralism for the primary reason of the mass population of diverse religion followings. According to Razavy (2010), “in acknowledging the existence of legal pluralism in the lives of many Canadians, for years the province of Ontario permitted, through the Arbitration Act, the operation of religiously-based arbitration courts that catered to various religious communities” (p. 164). The idea of the Sharia law in Ontario back in 2003 brought many perspectives of Islam to light. However, the idea should not be seen as a surprise as other religious (Christianity and Judaism) and non-religious groups, has been allowed arbitration in private matters for years before. Korteweg (2008) mentioned, “After the [Arbitration Act] came into effect in 1992, Jewish and Christian groups set up arbitration boards that ruled [by] accordance with their religious principles” (p. 436). The Arbitration Act is a good thing because it allows the practice of various faiths under the current
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