Posted on 03/22/2007 9:25:34 PM PDT by NormsRevenge
BERLIN - Politicians and Muslim leaders condemned a German judge Thursday for citing the Quran in her rejection of a Muslim woman's request for a quick divorce on grounds she was abused by her husband.
Judge Christa Datz-Winter said in a recommendation earlier this year that both partners came from a "Moroccan cultural environment in which it is not uncommon for a man to exert a right of corporal punishment over his wife," according to the court. The woman is a German of Moroccan descent married to a Moroccan citizen.
The judge argued that her case was not one of exceptional hardship in which fast-track divorce proceedings would be justified. When the woman protested, Datz-Winter cited a passage from the Quran to back up her argument that reads in part, "men are in charge of women."
The judge was removed from the case and the Frankfurt administrative court said it was considering disciplinary measures against her.
Court vice president Bernhard Olp said Thursday the judge "regrets that the impression arose that she approves of violence in marriage."
Olp said the judge had been convinced she was doing everything she could to protect the woman, who had been granted a restraining order against her husband. She had seen no reason to grant help in paying court costs for a fast-track divorce.
Olp said her reasoning was unacceptable, but insisted it was a "one-time event" that would not have an effect on other cases, or on the final ruling in the divorce proceedings.
The latest uproar comes amid an ongoing debate in Germany about integrating its more than 3 million Muslims, most of them from Turkey. A decision last year to cancel an opera featuring the severed heads of the Prophet Muhammad and other religious figures out of security concerns caused a furor and was later retracted.
Justice Minister Brigitte Zypries condemned the judge's decision.
"Every so often, there are individual rulings that seem completely incomprehensible," she said.
Lawmakers from Chancellor Angela Merkel's Christian Democrats said traditional Islamic law, or Sharia, had no place in Germany.
"The legal and moral concepts of Sharia have nothing to do with German jurisprudence," Wolfgang Bosbach, a lawmaker with the Christian Democrats, told N24 television.
"One thing must be clear: In Germany, only German law applies. Period."
Ronald Pofalla, the party's general secretary, told Bild: "When the Quran is put above the German constitution, I can only say: Good night, Germany."
Representatives of Germany's Muslim population were also critical of the ruling.
"Violence and abuse of people — whether against men or women — are, of course, naturally reasons to warrant a divorce in Islam as well," the country's Central Council of Muslims said in a statement.
The mass-circulation Bild daily asked in a front-page article: "Where are we living?" The left-leaning Tageszeitung headlined its Thursday edition: "In the name of the people: Beating allowed."
___
Associated Press writer Stephan Koehnlein contributed to this report from Frankfurt.
You reap what you sow Germany.
"One thing must be clear: In Germany, only German law applies. Period."
sorry pal.....you're in the EU, the UN, and the World Court. And with 3 million of these animals in your small country and more on the way, you're also in Deep Shi'ite.
"Lawmakers from Chancellor Angela Merkel's Christian Democrats said traditional Islamic law, or Sharia, had no place in Germany. "The legal and moral concepts of Sharia have nothing to do with German jurisprudence," Wolfgang Bosbach, a lawmaker with the Christian Democrats, told N24 television. "One thing must be clear: In Germany, only German law applies. Period." Ronald Pofalla, the party's general secretary, told Bild: "When the Quran is put above the German constitution, I can only say: Good night, Germany.""
03/20/2007
German Judge Justifies Marital Violence by the Koran ^
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1804068/posts
03/21/2007
A German Judge Cites Koran in Divorce Case
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1804708/posts
Ohh nice one - I will write it down and send it back to you the next opportunity I get :)
This is odd. I was searching for a photo of this judge (didn't find one) and searches on both Yahoo and Google on "Christa Datz-Winter" (with quotes) didn't come up with any hits at all. I did get some on ask.com. On the first two removing the quotes returned hits, but not on her.
Once She looses her job in the German court system, Judge Christa Datz-Winter will be speaking at our Universities. Our Liberal Left will love Her.
This is a positive part of this story. Perhaps there's hope if they really do discipline this judge.
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