Tea at Trianon: The Quiet Erosion of Britain’s Rule of Law

John Wilson Croker on Marie-Antoinette

"We have followed the history of Marie Antoinette with the greatest diligence and scrupulosity. We have lived in those times. We have talked with some of her friends and some of her enemies; we have read, certainly not all, but hundreds of the libels written against her; and we have, in short, examined her life with– if we may be allowed to say so of ourselves– something of the accuracy of contemporaries, the diligence of inquirers, and the impartiality of historians, all combined; and we feel it our duty to declare, in as a solemn a manner as literature admits of, our well-matured opinion that every reproach against the morals of the queen was a gross calumny– that she was, as we have said, one of the purest of human beings."

~from History of the Guillotine by John Wilson Croker, 1844

Edmund Burke on Marie-Antoinette

"It is now sixteen or seventeen years since I saw the queen of France, then dauphiness, at Versailles; and surely there never lighted on this orb, which she hardly seemed to touch, a more delightful vision. I saw her just above the horizon, decorating and cheering the elevated sphere she had just begun to move in, glittering like a morning star full of life and splendor and joy. Oh, what a revolution....Little did I dream that I should have lived to see such disasters fall upon her, in a nation of gallant men, in a nation of men of honor and of cavaliers! I thought ten thousand swords must have leaped from their scabbards, to avenge even a look which threatened her with insult. But the age of chivalry is gone; that of sophisters, economists, and calculators has succeeded...."

~Edmund Burke, October 1790

Tuesday, January 14, 2025

The Quiet Erosion of Britain’s Rule of Law

From Amuse on X:

Since the establishment of Britain’s first Sharia Council in 1982, their presence has grown to at least 85 across the UK. Operating outside the formal judicial framework, these councils primarily address family matters, including marriage, divorce, and inheritance, within the Muslim community. While proponents argue they provide culturally sensitive advice, critics see a growing parallel legal system that threatens Britain’s cohesive rule of law.
Consider the troubling inequities inherent in Sharia proceedings, where studies indicate that over 80% of cases in some councils involve women seeking divorce, often facing barriers such as required payments to obtain an Islamic divorce or being pressured to reconcile with abusive partners. Testimonies from affected women reveal systemic bias, with one reporting she was asked to provide evidence of her husband’s infidelity even after enduring years of domestic violence. These accounts highlight the pervasive inequalities within such systems. A Muslim man may divorce his wife unilaterally by declaring “Talaq” three times, while a woman must navigate a labyrinth of male-dominated tribunals for the same outcome. Prominent figures like Haitham al-Haddad have drawn scrutiny for espousing views that institutionalize gender inequality. Women seeking redress often find themselves at the mercy of councils that prioritize tradition over fairness, using religious doctrine to justify discriminatory rulings. (Read more.)