Britain's leading Islamic scholar believes the Archbishop of Canterbury Dr Rowan Williams' comments on sharia law have been profoundly misunderstood.
Dr Williams sparked outrage last week when he said the introduction of aspects of Islamic law in Britain was 'unavoidable'
Sheikh Suhaib Hasan, secretary of the Islamic Sharia Council, a panel of Britain's top Islamic scholars who decide on hundreds of Muslim marriages and divorces each year, said Dr Williams was being wrongly vilified.
"I have listened to his speech, and I think people are so ignorant that they cannot understand what he was saying," said Mr Hasan, who was born in Pakistan and studied jurisprudence in Saudi Arabia before coming to Britain 31 years ago.
Mr Hasan said he fears the Anglican leader he will try to "correct" himself to quell the furore that has arisen around his comments.
"Because he's been so totally misunderstood, he should try to explain himself. He should not withdraw from his comments, that will just make it worse. If I believe something then I stand by it. The archbishop is the same. He should not disassociate himself from what he said if he thinks it's true."
Dr Williams sparked outrage last week when he said the introduction of aspects of Islamic law in Britain was "unavoidable".
Despite later issuing a statement saying he was not advocating a parallel legal system, the tabloid press in Britain condemned the spiritual leader of the Anglican Church, calling on him to resign.
Dr Williams, who has not spoken publicly since he made his comments, is expected to address the issue when he opens a meeting of the Church of England's General Synod later today.
Mr Hasan said part of the problem was that few people realise how integrated elements of sharia already are among Britain's 1.8 million Muslims in and other European countries.
He and a panel of seven to 10 Islamic scholars hear about 50 divorce cases a month at the Islamic Sharia Council, formed 25 years ago, sometimes settling disputes with couples as far afield as Ireland, Denmark, Holland and Germany.