Read the story here: Tennessee Considers Bill That Makes Following Shariah A Felony
The Tennessee State legislature is currently considering a bill that would make observing some versions and portions of Shariah a felony. The bill is backed by a conservative advocacy group with ties to the same group attempting to block the so-called "Ground Zero" mosque and represents yet another attempt to limit religious freedoms for Muslims in the US. Muslims fear that this could fundamentally fracture the way they worship due to the obtuse nature of the proposed regulations. Proponents of the bill say this measure gives them powerful counter-terrorism tools and that it simply attempts to outlaw the most extreme Islamic practices - peacefully practicing Muslims would be exempt from these laws.
Last time I checked, freedom of religion in this nation was a constitutionally guaranteed right. But that was yesterday. I feel pretty confident issuing the prediction that this will not stand up in The Supreme Court, which is where it will end up if this passes and we are talking about Tennessee here, but then again this court has already committed greater atrocities against established precedent. However, I would certainly call this easily unconstitutional, so instead of talking about the varying loads of legal cases that back this up, I’d like to first of all explain what Shariah law actually is.
Shariah law is the sacred law of the Muslim religion that derives from the Qur’an and the teachings of the Muslim prophet Muhammad. Since most of us are familiar with the basics of Christianity, it is very similar to the moral code of conduct Christians derive from both the Bible and the teachings of Jesus. Also, just as with Christianity, there are several different sects and degrees of belief including fundamentalists, traditionalists, and modernists. Shariah law typically addresses secular issues such as crime and money but also addresses personal conduct in matter of sexuality, morality, prayer, etc.
“Nadeem Siddiqi, a 35-year-old American Muslim entrepreneur … said Shariah governs his life."Shariah is how I know how to fast in the month of Ramadan; how I wash before my prayers," he said. "It also directs me in how much charity I need to give to the poor. It orders me to be honest and fair in my business dealings."
Now that we have established that there is nothing fundamentally extremist about the nature of Shariah law, next I want to look at what the proponents of the bill are saying. What could possibly lead them to want to ban portions of someone’s moral compass?
Tennessee republican Sen. Bill Ketron who sponsors the bill:
"[the bill condemns those] who take Shariah law to the other extreme."
"a powerful counterterrorism tool."
Clearly, this represents a broad misunderstanding of not only Shariah, but also of the US Constitution. We do not ban portions of someone’s religion in this country, be it extreme or benign. Regardless, associating terrorism with Shariah law is nothing short of attacking the Muslim religion as being held responsible for the attacks on September 11th. Conservatives have long insisted that they are not blaming Islam as a religion for these attacks – this proposal strips away any slimy film of that notion. Shariah in practice does not mandate Jihad, just as Christianity in practice does not impose a 10 year debt-forgiveness schedule. Anyone who’s had a credit card or a mortgage for 11 years is painfully aware of that fact!
The thing you must remember is that when it comes to protecting our freedom of religion, an attack upon one religion, any religion, is an attack upon all of them. Sure it's on Islam now, but who is to say that your belief system, or lack thereof, isn’t next on the list? Now would be a good time to practice some personal Shariah and treat others as you would have them do unto you.
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