The Islamic Shariah Council demands an explanation for the article in the Telegraph (A Law unto itself?) in which false views were attributed to Dr Suhaib Hasan. The recent hacking scandal has shown that many journalists are happy to engage in criminal methods to gather stories. Here is another example of falsehood being inserted into an article simply to add weight to its content, without any regard to veracity. Dr Hasan has repeatedly explained the positive value of Islamic penal law as an alternative to more and more prisons, but has never asked Britain to introduce these laws. In fact, the current crisis of riots sweeping London is sad proof that current criminal laws have no deterrent value in the minds of young criminals. Adultery laws apply equally to men and women and have incredibly tough evidentiary requirements under Shariah, so tough that they are often unenforceable.  By ignoring this fact and claiming that Dr Hasan wants women to be stoned for adultery, the article is deliberately inflammatory. We demand proof that Dr Hasan has asked for Islamic penal law to be introduced in England and, failing that, a public apology. Please be assured that the ISC is seeking legal advice regarding this and will pursue this issue through the judiciary.