Greece to limit Sharia law after European Court challenge

Lawmakers in Greece are set to limit the powers of Islamic courts which operate in a border region that is home to a 100,000-strong Muslim minority, acting in response to a European court complaint.

Backed by Parliament’s largest political parties, the draft law to be voted on later Tuesday proposes scrapping rules imposed more than 90 years ago that refer many civil cases involving members of the Muslim community to Sharia law courts.

The new legislation will give Greek courts priority in all cases.

The changes – considered long overdue by many Greek legal experts – follow a complaint made to the Council of Europe’s Court of Human Rights over an inheritance dispute by a Muslim woman who lives in the northeastern city of Komotini. [AP]