German Judge Cites Koran in Rejecting Divorce

[Zenlitened]

Germany Cites Koran in Rejecting Divorce

By MARK LANDLER (New York Times)
Published: March 22, 2007

FRANKFURT, March 22 — A German judge has stirred a storm of protest here by citing the Koran in turning down a German Muslim woman’s request for a fast-track divorce on the ground that her husband beat her.

In a remarkable ruling that underlines the tension between Muslim customs and European laws, the judge, Christa Datz-Winter, said that the couple came from a Moroccan cultural milieu, in which she said it was common for husbands to beat their wives. The Koran, she wrote, sanctions such physical abuse.

News of the ruling brought swift and sharp condemnation from politicians, legal experts, and Muslim leaders in Germany, many of whom said they were confounded that a German judge would put 7th-century Islamic religious teaching ahead of modern German law in deciding a case involving domestic violence.

The woman’s lawyer, Barbara Becker-Rojczyk, said she decided to publicize the ruling, which was issued in January, after the court refused her request for a new judge. On Wednesday, the court in Frankfurt abruptly removed Judge Datz-Winter from the case, saying it could not justify her reasoning.

More:
http://www.nytimes.com/2007/03/22/world/europe/22cnd-germany.html?hp

[Solo_in_MD]

1. GIven what else I have seen done recently by German courts, that they may reverse this is amazing

Eurpoeans are tolerating way to much Sharia horseshit and giving way to much ground on civil rights

[aquart]

2. The German constitution is based on the Koran?

What on earth made her cite the Koran?

[R_M]

3. Why is the west so willing to bend over for this archaic culture?

:wtf:

[phillysuse]

4. Oil

in one word.

If we can move to alternative forms of energy, we can let them eat their oil and beat their women.

[R_M]

6. Oil.

Agreed.

[ayeshahaqqiqa]

5. I don't know what Qur'an he was reading,

but the one I have says to beat your wife only with a certain stick--which is the size of a toothbrush. The whole point of that verse was to show mercy and to work things out, not to give men carte blanch to beat their wives.

[DeSwiss]

7. Well, here's the answer for the judge's ruling in my view...

Further down in the NYT's article:

Judge Datz-Winter narrowly avoided being killed 10 years ago in a case involving a man and woman whose relationship had come apart. The man emptied a gun in her courtroom — killing his former partner and wounding her lawyer. The judge survived by diving under her desk.

German newspapers have speculated that the ordeal may have affected her judgment in this case, a suggestion that the court spokesman denied.

Yeah, right.