Archbishop's Shariah comments criticized

LONDON, Feb. 8 (UPI) -- Anglican leaders blasted the archbishop of Canterbury's suggestion that Muslims be allowed to use Shariah law to settle civil disputes.

One member of the General Synod of the Church of England told The Times of London that Archbishop Rowan Williams should quit. The man didn't want his name used.

"A lot of people will now have lost confidence in him," he said. "I am just so shocked, and cannot believe a man of his intelligence could be so gullible. I can only assume that all the Muslims he meets are senior leaders of the community who tell him what a wonderful book the Koran is."

Some Muslim groups and many individuals interviewed by the BBC said that they don't want Shariah law in England.

Williams in an interview with the BBC said that Shariah shouldn't be used in criminal cases. The Times reported that many British Muslims already use informal Shariah courts to resolve property disputes or the details of divorce settlements.