Lebanese mother prevails in court

A Lebanese mother and her child who fled to Britain to avoid being separated under their country’s Islamic law should be allowed to remain, Britain’s highest court ruled.

The divorced woman, identified only as EM, told immigration officials her allegedly abusive ex-husband would gain custody of their child under Lebanon’s Sharia law.

Although religious laws are not applied in Lebanon’s criminal code, Sharia does apply to Lebanese Muslims on civil issues such as marriage, divorce, child custody and inheritance. Christian communities have their own religious courts.