A government advisory committee has come out against a proposal to introduce elements of the Muslim legal system, Sharia, in Switzerland.

The president of the Federal Anti-Racism Commission, Georg Kreis, said there was no support for the system to be established.

He told the Tages-Anzeiger newspaper that although the author of the idea, Christian Giordano, had published a guest article on the subject in the commission's official publication, his views were not shared by the members.

Giordano, a social anthropologist at Fribourg University, said he wanted to generate debate on the issue and his article had been misunderstood.

The piece stirred considerable controversy, particularly among human rights and women's groups.

Islamic organisations in Switzerland have described the proposal as unrealistic and objectionable.

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