Richie

It's obvious that Western laws do evolve; consider how the law treated women 100 years ago or the fact that the death penalty was abolished in Canada as a reflection of society's changing values. Sharia is based on the Koran and the Hadith, neither of which can change (one being the "word of God" the other being the sayings and beliefs of the latest, greatest "prophet"). The Arbitration Act should only be used for commercial disputes. Family law should be removed from the Arbitration Act and no law based on any religion should be allowed in Canada.

Having met with immigrant muslims, I can tell you for a fact that many of these women that have arrived here in the last decade or so have no idea that women could even have rights in the first place! To expect them to understand their rights under the Charter is ludicrous to say the least. Social engineering does not always work out for the best... Once agian, if you would like to express your dismay with the idea of Sharia courts operating in Ontario, please contact your MPP and let them know!

Why would it be "racial prejudice"? Is islam a race? The islam that has emerged over the last 10 or 20 years is more of a totalitarian political ideology than anything. Your own ignorance is almost as blatant as your knee jerk Politically Correct use of the word "racist". Grow up. If muslim women in Ontario suffer from high levels of unemployment, it's because of the misogyny inherent to islam.

On the other hand, "Man of the Year" doesn't necessarily mean the individual picked out for the honour is a good person. After all, Adolph Hitler was Time's Man of the Year for 1938. All that this means is that the individual is a "newsmaker".

Where in my post does it mention his ethnicity or the colour of his skin???? Your remarks are the absurd ones, not to mention presumptuous! I'm just curious as to the link between Arar and Abdullah Almalki, a suspected al-Quaida member. Both men co-signed on an apartment lease in Ottawa. Innocent? Maybe. But I think Mahar Arar should be investigated further, not made "Man of the Year"!

You're right, PocketRocket, that was londwinded! I just see religion as a childhood affliction. Humanity is still in its childhood and hence the need for a parental figure in the sky. I'm more optimistic than you regarding the overall intelligance of Humanity; I think this need for a father figure will die out as we continue to develop as a species. After all, do you still believe in that monster under your bed?

First of all, many muslim women in Ontario came here from cultures in which they simply were not educated. We are deluding ourselves if we think these women can fend for themselves when they don't speak or read English and don't even know their own rights under Canadian law. If you think this makes me a "racist" that's fine, that simply shows that you are still brainwashed by "multiculturalism" and have not learned to think for yourself. I suggest you take a look at this website to see what the other "racists" have to say about sharia law in Ontario. Sharia is not like any other set of laws we have in the West because of the way it treats women. Women are not considered equals under Sharia law as they are under Canadian law. For that matter, why should we have religious laws at all here in Canada? Canadian law is well respected and bends over backwards to treat everyone fairly. Why blur the distinction between Church and State??? Polygamy and arranged marriages of girls as young as 13 or 14 are already taking place within the muslim community in Toronto, having Ontario courts enforce decisions by Sharia courts will only serve to institutionalize this practice. Many muslims living here in Toronto left their countries of birth to escape Islamic dictatorships and Sharia law. I, for one, do not want my tax dollars to go towards supporting the decisions of Sharia based courts!

A group of muslims in Mississauga, Ont. has been pushing for the introduction of Sharia in Ontario. This would mean that, through the Arbitration Act, Ontario courts would be enforcing rulings based on a set of tribal laws developed in Arabia over 1,000 years ago. Women would be treated as second class citizens (they would only receive half of what a man would receive on the death of their parents, polygamy would be widely practised in the muslim community in Ontario, divorce is mush easier for a man than a woman under Sharia, etc.). If you are opposed to this, please contact your MPP and voice your concerns. Queen's Park is all set to give this the green light and it will set women's rights in Ontario back years! Let the politicians know what you think! Click here to find out who your MPP is: Elections Ontario

Considering the fact that "God" is a creation of our own Human imagination, I suppose you could argue that we do know the will of "God" because he is just an invention of our own imagination. At any rate, Human Beings will someday no longer feel the need for a parent figure to look up to and to turn to when things go wrong. I look forward to that day: the day when religion withers and dies.

I'm still not entirely convinced that Mahar Arar is NOT a terrorist or someone raising money for the terrorists. Making him "Suspect of the Year" would have been more appropriate.