Sharia law marriages not condoned by Dutch officials

Tags: Excerpts from the Windmill

THE HAGUE – Justice Minister Ernst Ballin Hirsch has called on the public to report Muslims who marry informally before an Imam, thereby submitting themselves, de facto, to Islamic Sharia law. The Netherlands only recognizes civil unions performed by a special administrator, after which the couples can follow the religious rites of their choice. Under Dutch law only an unauthorized administrator can be prosecuted for non-sanctioned marriages, regardless whether the ceremony was conducted at a mosque or privately at home.