Quote Originally Posted by Tribesman View Post
But it is arbitration , the selected terms of reference for the arbitration process are only a tiny part of the topic .
But you are a smart guy Goof answer this ....how will the removal of the arbitration process make any difference whatsoever to the womens ability to "choose" without being pressured ?
Now you might take Boatengs ideas from that BBC article as a model on how to get round the pressure issue , but how would they work ?
Because on one hand they will be pressured by their community to go through the Muslim arbitration. Peer pressure is a wonderful thing, not. Being secular country and have all the rules, regulations, arbitration and laws apply to all regardless of faith, gender or wealth or admit that there is something wrong when you have to have different processes based on religion, ethnic background or culture.

On the other hand having an arbitration panel can help communicate the wider community standards with useful internal cultural values. If the arbitration panel helps integrate it can be a very good thing.

Where initiatives like this can fail is when they are put above the law, or more likely when it is assumed that one size fits all approach. Islam has many different versions and these are viewed through different cultural prisms. Imagine Catholics being put through a Christian arbitration panel of Mormons... things could get convoluted...