daniel-p, I did read through some of the article and the major points. While others don,t agree, and thats fine, I don't find nothing wrong with these laws. A believer hears and obeys, nothing more.
Are you a christian? If so, do you believe that God inspired the Mosaic Laws. If your answer is yes, do you believe that those laws were just and righteous? The reason I ask is because many of the laws found in Shariah Law are also found in Mosaic Law. Many are in fact identical. It always amazes me how christians begin to attack Islam as barbaric when they believe God had revealed similar laws before. If Islam is wrong for its apparent harshness then one must conclude that the religion and laws of the israelites also was. The mosaic law even encouraged ethnic cleasing and instructed them to annihilate entire nations, men, women, children, and domestic animal, not that I necessarily believe that God really said that. The Israelites also fought Jihad to defend there religion and releigious freedoms and to endure their own existence. They executed adulterers and apostates even their lazy children, which is over the top.
The point is, many may not like the laws, especially in a secularized society where religion is not the focal point. However, the accusation that God would never inspire such a law is baseless since He has already done so previously. The Mosaic Law was for the nation of Israel where as the Shariah Law was given to mankind as a whole through the prophet sent to all, Muhammad, peace be upon him.