That is, actually the law. When a religious group appears in court, the law is to look to their internal ‘contract’ first. This is not creeping sharia here. And this is coming from me, a major islamophobe.
You are correct, of course. The Fox headline is incorrect and unnecessarily provocative.
The judge did not apply shariah law, the parties themselves applied it.
The judge was not defending his decision, he was merely explaining it.
The decision is not controversial or even a close call; there is nothing to defend.