From Runnymede to Reconquista

In a recent lecture, the leader of the Anglican church, Dr Rowan Williams, the Archbishop of Canterbury, seemed neither particularly religious nor particularly British:

The Archbishop of Canterbury says the adoption of certain aspects of Sharia law in the UK "seems unavoidable".

Dr Rowan Williams told Radio 4's World at One that the UK has to "face up to the fact" that some of its citizens do not relate to the British legal system.

Dr Williams argues that adopting parts of Islamic Sharia law would help maintain social cohesion.

For example, Muslims could choose to have marital disputes or financial matters dealt with in a Sharia court.

British Prime Minister Gordon Brown is only a bit better:

The British prime minister spoke Monday in defense of the Archbishop of Canterbury's statements calling the influence of Islamic law "unavoidable."

Dr. Rowan Williams angered many conservatives in a statement last week saying the incorporation of parts of Islamic law into English law were "unavoidable."

"The Prime Minister believes the Archbishop of Canterbury is a man of great integrity and dedication to public and community services, and he understands the difficulty he is facing at the moment," Prime Minister Gordon Brown said through a spokesman.

The spokesman stressed the statements of support did not reflect a view by the prime minister that Islamic law or other cultural influences should be anything but "subservient to British criminal and civil law," The Times of London said Monday.

Williams's predecessor, Lord George Carey, rejected accommodating Sharia into British law, yet downplayed the dispute:

But this is not a matter upon which Dr Williams should resign. He is a great leader in the Anglican tradition and he has a very important role to play in the Church. He has my full support.

Question: if welcoming the "Reconquista" to the land that invented the "rule of law" isn't a resignation offense, what is?

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(via reader Chris R.)