Shariah courts in America
We're sleepwalking toward Britain's outcome, or worse
Across the United States, Islamic arbitration bodies quietly handle hundreds of family law cases each year with no transcripts, no appeals and no public oversight.
www.washingtontimes.com
1 Dec 2025 ~~ By Peter McIlvenna
They are not coming. They are already here.
Across the United States, Islamic arbitration bodies quietly handle hundreds of family law cases each year — marriage, divorce, custody, inheritance — behind closed doors, with no transcripts, no appeals and no public oversight. All-male panels apply traditional Shariah rules to 21st-century American women and children.
The Islamic Tribunal of Dallas was founded in 2014 as a “volunteer mediation service.” By 2024, it was deciding roughly 300 cases annually in mosque back rooms and law offices. The panel of three or four male scholars, trained at institutions such as Al-Azhar and Omdurman, openly follows rules in which a woman’s testimony is worth half a man’s in financial and inheritance matters. Women report being pressured to accept religious divorces that strip them of their mahr (dowry) and leave them financially devastated.
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The North American Islamic Trust owns title to 300 to 325 U.S. mosques, more than 11% of the U.S. total. When disputes arise inside those mosques — divorces, estates, leadership fights — local trust-affiliated imams become the de facto judges. There is no signed arbitration agreement, no neutral venue, no American lawyer reviewing decisions for compliance with U.S. law. Daughters routinely receive half the inheritance of their brothers, as prescribed in Surah An-Nisa. Wives are told that taking the case to a “kafir” (“infidel”) court is forbidden.
The real enforcement is social ostracism: loss of your family, your children’s place in the community, your entire support network. Because these rulings stay outside the Federal Arbitration Act, secular courts hardly ever see the paperwork — or the victims.
The Ismaili Conciliation and Arbitration Board was established in 1986 by the Aga Khan. It has a written constitution, trained mediators (some Western-educated lawyers) and public commitments to gender equality. Yet proceedings remain strictly confidential, rulings are never published, and former members, especially women in transnational marriages, describe being steered toward settlements far weaker than any U.S. family court would allow. The pressure is polite but relentless: Accept less or risk exile from the tight-knit global Ismaili community you were born into.
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America is following the same script, only faster. Legal Muslim immigration to the U.S. has exceeded 100,000 annually for more than a decade, supplemented by illegal crossings and asylum claims. Every new mosque and enclave strengthens the infrastructure for private Islamic justice. The same soothing arguments that paralyzed Britain — “It’s voluntary” and “Secular courts are always available” — are repeated here by academics and interfaith groups.
This is not fearmongering; it is pattern recognition. Britain waited 40 years and ended up with 85 Shariah councils. America has the same ingredients, faster demographic change and even less political will to act.
The parallel system is already growing. The only question left is whether we still have the courage to stop it before “voluntary” becomes permanent.
Commentary:
Wondering when Sharia law imposes the tossing gays off high buildings, in Dearborn, the twin Cities, and New York?
Muslims are not in America to be Americans! They do not assimilate into Society, and refuse to obey the laws of the infidels.
Muslims are in America to convert. kill and impose Sharia Law throughout America!
Someone previous mentioned how well and good Lebanon is.. That's only if you reach yo pre World War II and to before Syria and Iran became powerful in the M.E.
Lebanon was the city of lights.
Lebanon, once known for its stunning landscapes, vibrant culture, and rich history, has faced significant turmoil in recent years. The capital, Beirut, was often celebrated as the "Paris of the Middle East" due to its lively atmosphere, beautiful architecture, and bustling nightlife. However, ongoing political instability, economic collapse, and social unrest have deeply affected the country.
Today Lebanon is controlled by Hezbollah Muslim terrorists.
This is how the Muslim Brotherhood and Muslims in general operate and it's happening in th UK as you read this.
