(European Conservative) A court in Vienna has caused a storm after confirming that a financial ruling based on Islamic law, or Sharia, is legally valid in Austria.
Critics say the judgment opens the door to “parallel justice” and undermines the country’s legal system.
The case began when two Muslim men agreed that any disputes between them would be settled by an Islamic arbitration panel using Sharia rules.
When a disagreement arose, the tribunal ordered one of them to pay €320,000. He refused, arguing that Sharia is open to different interpretations and goes against Austria’s core values.
But the Vienna Regional Court dismissed his appeal. Judges said Austrian law allows people to choose arbitration systems for financial and property disputes, as long as the result does not break Austria’s “fundamental legal values.”
