OK, Oklahoma. Looking at the shape of the state it clearly points west! And yesterday the public confirmed that they want to keep pointing west when, what had been on the cards since
May/June, was passed; back then a ban on local courts considering Sharia or other international law in their rulings was proposed. Well they voted 70 to 30% in favour of the ban (incidentally, at the same time they voted by 75 to 25% to keep English as the official language). See those votes and the outcome of the other proposals
HERE. The proposal was really down to those that think the U.S. may be at risk of falling under Sharia law and they point to examples in Europe and especially the UK where "
Muslims can enter special Sharia courts to decide divorce and custody cases if both parties agree. Criminal and other civil cases are still heard in secular courts." The proposal is also very specific: "
The measure amends the state constitution to forbid "courts from considering or using Sharia Law." It defines Sharia as Islamic law "based on two principal sources, the Koran and the teaching of Mohammed."
That quote from the War Room of the Salon magazine (click on image). Last week in the
LA Times Nicholas Riccardi quoted Saad Mohammed of the Islamic Society of Greater Oklahoma City saying that,
"'It's just a scare tactic.' On the other hand, he added, since there is no Sharia in Oklahoma, the amendment is also largely harmless"... ... "Whether it passes or not, I don't think it's going to affect anyone."'
Well if it's harmelss then you've got no reason to worry then have you? However, I disagree: now this has passed - and by a convincing majority - I think other States, certainly some of those in the cental US, away from the more liberal East and West Coasts, will start a drive for similar proposals in their States.
Ojala. ;-)
2 comments:
I love the fact that the U.S still doesn't have an official language by that documents are published in English and therefore English has assumed national status.
Re Sharia Law. It does seem strange to have a vote on something nobody apparently cares about and yet it still gets 30% of the vote.
hehehe...well spotted on both counts. I suspect a lot of the 30% was the same as the 25 against English: this could be anyone non-US citizen worried that at some point they may need a aspect of International Law Mexican etc... as the Muslim population in OK is about 0.5%, oh, and those pesky democrats :-)
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