Abstract

The recognition of patterns of judicial independence and the exercise of legal advice for the resolution of disputes in an alternative way with respect to ordinary justice, in some Western countries is an extremely interesting demonstration of the political, social, and economic role the Islamic communities have assumed. The presence of judicial bodies that apply the Shari'a within a Western democracy raises many theoretical and practical problems. The essay examines two very significant experiences: the Shari'a Council and the Muslim Arbitration Tribunal in the UK and the Mufti in Greece. These are very different experiences; however, both show a possible way of integration of Muslim communities in the West.