muslims pushing for sharia in australia now, page-38

Mazwegian

The UK has laws under which parties agree to go to binding arbitration and the decision of the arbitrator is enforceable in court. It is usually used for civil disputes - family law, contract disputes etc. Both parties must consent to be bound by arbitration. Anyone can set up as an arbitrator and some people have set up using sharia law. The parties who use a sharia arbitrator must agree to be bound by the outcomes. And obviously, stoning etc are out of the question as under UK law. If voluntary like this, I do not see it as being a big issue.

I don't think there is Jewish law in Australia, at least not operating as part of the main legal system. But there was a local controversy in Sydney recently where the Jewish community wanted to create an Eruv so that Jews are "able" to go out of the house on the sabbath. An Eruv is a series of metal post connected by wires and the Jewish community wanted to erect metal poles and string wires between them to people can go out on the sabbath. Quite funny that people still have such medieval beliefs

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A PROPOSED spiritual boundary in St Ives is still in limbo after a decision on 11 controversial development applications was deferred yesterday.

The state-appointed Ku-ring-gai Planning Panel said it would inspect the sites before determining whether 27, six-metre poles with adjoining wires could be erected as part of a Jewish eruv in the upper north shore suburb.

An eruv is an area inside which Orthodox Jews are permitted to carry or push objects out of doors on their sabbath and holy days.

An eruv was installed in the eastern suburbs - along the promenade at Bondi Beach - in 2002. Another is planned for Randwick and Maroubra.

A spokesman for the Northern Eruv project, David Guth, said 85 per cent of the 20 kilometre perimeter was in place in the form of electric cables and poles.

But Ku-ring-gai Council received more than 600 submissions on the issue that has stirred fierce debate among the St Ives community. A staff report recommended approval last week.

The panel chairwoman, Janet Thomson, sought to cancel yesterday's meeting, saying the panel's future was uncertain because the new government had promised to abolish it.

However, The Department of Planning and Infrastructure told Ms Thomson the panel could go ahead, a spokesman said.

The Jewish Board of Deputies chief executive, Vic Alhadeff, said the board was disappointed the panel did not act on the council recommendations.

''An eruv is a non-event to most of us - yet it has enormous positive impact on the lives of fellow Australians who happen to be Orthodox Jews,'' he said.

The St Ives Progress Association president, Christiane Berlioz, who was surprised by the outcome, said she had respect for Jewish beliefs but an eruv imposed structures on the whole community. ''I think people would object just as much if it was a series of 27, six-metre-high crosses going up with tinsel stretched between the two, and nine crosses on public land,'' she said.

There are an estimated 3000 Jews living in St Ives, of whom 300 are orthodox.

Sindy Lowinger, who grew up in St Ives, said she was housebound on Saturdays because she was unable to push her 18-month-old daughter, Tova, in her pram in public. ''I think [an eruv] will have zero impact on the local community and the environment. The impact it will have is for me to be able to go out on a Saturday,'' she said.

Read more: http://www.smh.com.au/nsw/panel-to-inspect-sites-before-deciding-on-religious-boundary-20110406-1d4ks.html#ixzz1Mbqk3fbI