Archbishop of Canterbury Rowan Williams said in a public lecture this week that the official recognition of Islamic sharia courts in the UK is not only “unavoidable,” but necessary for “social cohesion.. In an interview with the BBC, Williams defended his comments, saying: “It’s not as if we’re bringing in an alien and rival system.”

But the archbishop’s comments have generated a firestorm of criticism, including from both Labour and Tories in Parliament, in addition to many Anglican clergy. Prime Minister Gordon Brown’s office immediately distanced the government from Williams:

“Our general position is that sharia law cannot be used as a justification for committing breaches of English law, nor should the principles of sharia law be included in a civil court for resolving contractual disputes. The Prime Minister believes British law should apply in this country, based on British values.”

While Williams envisions sharia applied in the UK to private law and financial transactions, sharia itself recognizes no divisions between the the religious and civil spheres - a principle for which his predecessor Thomas Becket gave his life. The UK media have already identified sharia courts being used in criminal cases, in one instance freeing a group of Somali “youths” accused of stabbing another man.

Is the official recognition of sharia necessary for a pluralistic society, even if it undermines the rule of law and human rights?