Greece to limit Sharia law after European Court challenge

ATHENS — Lawmakers in Greece are set to limit the powers of Islamic courts operating in a border region that is home to a 100,000-strong Muslim minority.

Backed by parliament's largest political parties, the draft law is set to be voted on later yesterday. The proposal aims to scrap rules dating back more than 90 years ago and which refer many civil cases involving members of the Muslim community to Sharia law courts. The new legislation will give Greek courts priority in all cases.

The changes — considered long overdue by many Greek legal experts — follow a complaint to the Council of Europe's Court of Human Rights over an inheritance dispute by a Muslim woman who lives in the northeastern Greek city of Komotini.

Legislation concerning minority rights was based on international treaties following wars in the aftermath of the Ottoman empire's collapse. The Muslim minority in Greece is largely Turkish speaking. Minority areas were visited last month by Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan.

Greek governments in the past have been reluctant to amend minority rights, as many disputes between Greece and Turkey remain unresolved.

Currently, Islamic court hearings are presided over by a single official, a state-appointed Muslim cleric.

In parliament yesterday, Constantine Gavroglou, minister of education and religious affairs, praised opposition party support for the bill.

"This is not just a technical adjustment, it's a very important day for parliament ... because of the broad support that is key when addressing issues of democracy and people's rights," he told lawmakers.

"(Current rules) stem from policies that were hostile toward the minority and sought to create second class citizens."

The extreme right Golden Dawn party opposed the bill, arguing that it failed to adequately outline what powers would be retained by Islamic courts, and did not address the issue of locally-elected clerics who operate in an unofficial but influential capacity.