
A surprising number of national political figures, pundits, and state legislators have turned their attention to the possibility that Muslims are trying to subvert US and state constitutions using Sharia law. This has drummed up enough hysteria to propose legal bans on Sharia in the US. A total of 24 states have proposed bills to render void any use of “foreign” law in their state courts, but Islam is being targeted in these measures. Despite citing the Sharia as a threat to state sovereignty, none of the sponsors of these bills can conjure any instance in which the Sharia or any other foreign law took precedence over federal or state laws. When these politicians claim that the Sharia is “happening” in certain places, they are most likely referring to the fact that Dearborn, MI has the largest Islamic center and largest Arab population in the US.Even so, Dearborn is not governed by the Sharia.
Why the dire need to reinforce the supremacy of American law in America? Here is what some of our political leaders have said about the threat of Sharia in the US:
Former House Speaker Newt Gingrich
"This is a clear case of freedom of speech and the exercise of religious freedom being sacrificed in deference to sharia’s intolerance against the preaching of religions other than Islam."
Former Arkansas Governor Mike Huckabee
"We live in a country where people are free to be Muslim. They're not free, however, to impose a Muslim law as if it were civil law. If I were to say, okay, everyone must tithe to their local church, people would be outraged."
"If the purpose of a church is to push forward the gospel of Jesus Christ, and then you have a Muslim group that says that Jesus Christ and all the people that follow him are a bunch of infidels who should be essentially obliterated, I have a hard time understanding that." (From The Christian Century)
Former Pennsylvania Senator Rick Santorum
"Today our leaders have opted for political correctness, referring to our theologically motivated enemies as simply terrorists," he said.
"But terrorism is a tactic, not an ideology. This new existential threat to America, Sharia and its violent iteration jihadism, has yet to be adequately explained by our leaders -- except in using the term terror to describe its military profile that it's violent, widespread and fanatical. But it's more, including non-violent efforts to insinuate Sharia law in Western countries, including our own."
Former CEO of Godfather's Pizza, 2012 Presidential hopeful Herman Cain, when asked if he would appoint a Muslim to his cabinet,
"No, I would not. And here’s why. There is this creeping attempt, there is this attempt to gradually ease sharia law and the Muslim faith into our government. It does not belong in our government."
2012 Nevada Senate contender Sharron Angle
"My thoughts are these, first of all, Dearborn, Michigan, and Frankford, Texas are on American soil, and under constitutional law. Not Sharia law,” Angle said. “And I don't know how that happened in the United States. It seems to me there is something f undamentally wrong with allowing a foreign system of law to even take hold in any municipality or government situation in our United States."
Former Minnesota Gov. Tim Pawlenty
says his decision to shut down a state-sponsored mortgage program designed to appeal to devout Muslims -- who are forbidden by Sharia law to collect or pay interest on loans -- demonstrates his commitment to rooting out Islamic law
Oklahoma State Representative Lewis Moore (R-Edmond)
“I don’t think we should accept or encourage Sharia law in any way, shape or form.”
Oklahoma State Representative Rex Duncan (R-Sand Springs)
“It is a cancer upon the survivability of the UK,” Duncan said. “SQ 755 will constitute a pre-emptive strike against Sharia law coming to Oklahoma.”
“It’s a growing threat, frankly, and this, again, is a preemptive strike. They understand that this is a war for the survival of America, it’s a cultural war, it’s a social war, it’s a war for the survival of our country. In other states while they’ve looked away too long looked to the other way and kow-towed to political correctness, have lost an opportunity perhaps to save their state. "
-- Interview with MSNBC’s Contessa Brewer
Oklahoma State Senator Anthony Sykes (R-Moore)
“Sharia law coming to the U.S. is a scary concept,” Sykes said. “Hopefully the passage of this constitutional amendment will prevent it in Oklahoma.”
Alaska State Representative Carl Gatto (R-Palmer)
“As a kid, we had Italian neighborhoods, Irish neighborhoods ... but they didn't impose their own laws," Gatto said. "When these neighborhoods are occupied by people from the Middle East, they do establish their own laws."
Georgia Representative Mike Jacobs (R)
"We're seeing more of a feeling that Sharia law should be applied in domestic cases," he said, such as divorces.
North Carolina Representative George Cleveland (R-Onslow)
"It's to ensure that any individual in this state does not have to worry about being taken advantage of by foreign laws," said Cleveland, a retired Marine who lives in Jacksonville. "It's barring any international law. If Shariah law tries to be enforced in the state, yeah, it would do it."
South Carolina Senator Mike Fair (R)
In a later interview with Talking Points Memo, Fair stood by his contention, and went as far as to claim that Sharia had been implemented in some parts of the United States.
"This bill has been called anti-Sharia law, and I suppose it does deal with that," Fair told TPM. "There are some localities around the country that have imposed Sharia law in lieu of local laws."
South Dakota Representative Phil Jensen (R)
"The bottom line in America is that you're not in Somalia, so you need to abide by our laws,” Jensen said.
Jensen insists a constitutional amendment such as HJR1004 would not impinge on religion.
"That's a totally separate issue," he said. "No, if anything, it will set Muslim women free."
South Dakota Senator Dan Lederman (R)
Like the Quran, the Bible and the Torah also contain numerous anti-usury scriptures and Lederman, an observant Jew who co-owns a multi-state bail bonds business, said he is not opposed to people buying Shariah-compliant financial products. "But I believe there's something very wrong with promoting something that anti-ethical to our American values...," he said of the links to terrorist funding.
Tennessee Senator Bill Ketron (R)
"This is providing the tools for our law enforcement here in Tennessee to protect not only the citizens, but those peaceful worshipping Muslims who do not interpret Shariah in an extremist manner as to call for jihad … I ask that they stand on our side."
Texas Representative Leo Berman (R)
“It’s being done in Dearborn, Mich., because of a large population of Middle Easterners,” Berman said, “and the judges in Dearborn are using and allowing to be used Sharia law.”
“I heard it on a radio station here on my way in to the Capitol one day,” Berman said Monday in an interview. “I don’t know Dearborn, Michigan but I heard it (Sharia is accepted law here) on the radio. Isn’t that true?”
Indiana Representative Bruce Borders (R),
"I regret being pulled into this issue because I never had the intention of targeting Indiana's Muslim constituents specifically," said Rep. Borders. "I believe all Americans have the right to freedom of religion and that Muslims should not be targeted for discriminatory measures."
For a list of the proposed bans, some of the bills' language, and their progress, see gaveltogavel.us