Some Britons have expressed shock over the Archbishop of Canterbury's suggestion on February 8 to bring "sharia" or Islamic law into the British legal system. Fellow Anglican bishops expressed public disagreement with Archbishop Rowan Williams.
Among them is the Pakistan-born and convert from Islam, Bishop of Rochester Michael Nazir-Ali. Bishop Nazir-Ali said it is "simply impossible" to bring sharia law into the British tradition "without fundamentally affecting its integrity" since it is rooted in the "Judeo-Christian tradition".
According to Lambeth Palace, headquarters for the Anglican Church, there have been calls for his resignation. According to The Evening Standard of London, Anglican Church officials agree that Archbishop Williams should indeed resign while saying that he is currently in a state of shock over the outrage he inspired.
British politicians, including some Muslims, have also distanced themselves from the leader of the Anglican Communion. Joining Prime Minister Gordon Brown, who promptly dismissed Archbishop Williams' proposal, were Shahid Malik of the Labour Party who said "I haven't experienced any clamour or fervent desire for sharia law in this country...If there are people who prefer sharia law there are always countries where they could go and live."
Anglican bishops from around the world will meet with Archbishop Williams later this year at a general synod. The meeting already promised to be lively, since the issue of the ordination of openly-homosexual clergy and the blessing of homosexual unions were already on the table before Archbishop Williams decided to "tease out" the issue of recognizing sharia in Britain.
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