An American Humanist once asked me what it is like to live as a Humanist in Canada. He looked wistful as I said that the experience is usually positive and that people’s reaction to learning that I am an Agnostic Humanist is usually polite, although sometimes surprised.

The recent success with Ontario's decision to ban Sharia courts has been widely reported in the world press. We have summarised some of the reports here.

Ontario will not become the first Western jurisdiction to allow Sharia law to settle family disputes, following protests supported by IHEU. The province will ban religious arbitrations, according to Dalton McGuinty, premier of Ontario.

Mr McGuinty also said that his government would quickly outlaw existing religious tribunals used by Christians and Jews under Ontario's Arbitration Act.

IHEU's Executive Director, Babu Gogineni, is to speak at a demonstration in London against Canada's faith-based courts. The demonstration, organised by International Campaign Against Sharia Court in Canada, will be held outside the Canadian High Commission in Grosvenor Square on September 8th, 2005, from 12:00 noon to 2:00 pm.

The Libre Pensée in France, an IHEU full member organisation, has written to the Canadian Government to demand equal treatment under the law for all, independent of their sex, religion or ethnic origin. The letter supports the International Campaign against Shari'a Court in Canada.