Islamic Law's Influence in America a Growing Concern

[festus]

Islamic Law's Influence in America a Growing Concern
Sunday, March 29, 2009
By David Lewkowict
FOXNews.com - Islamic Law's Influence in America a Growing Concern - International News | News of the World | Middle East News | Europe News
Print As America's Muslim population grows, so too does the influence of Islamic law, or Shariah, in daily life in the U.S.

"Shariah Law is the totality of the Muslim's obligation," said Abdullahi An-Na'im, a professor of law at Emory University in Atlanta. According to An-Na'im, Shariah is similar to Jewish Talmudic Law or Catholic Canon Law in that it guides an adherent's moral conduct.

"As a citizen, I am a subject of the United States," An-Na'im said. "I owe allegiance to the United States, to the Constitution of the United States. That is not inconsistent with observing a religious code in terms of my own personal behavior."

While many view this as a testament to the "great American melting pot," others see Islamic law's growing influence as a threat. Shariah's critics point to cases such as the airport in Minneapolis, where some Shariah-adherent taxi drivers made headlines in 2006 for refusing to pick up passengers they suspected of carrying liquor. The drivers' aversion to alcohol stemmed from a verse in the Qur'an that describes "intoxicants and gambling" as "an abomination of Satan's handiwork."

Last year, a Tyson Foods plant in Shelbyville, Tenn. replaced its traditional Labor Day holiday with paid time off on Eid al-Fitr, the Muslim festival — marking the end of fasting during Ramadan. A labor union had requested the change on behalf of hundreds of Muslim employees— many of them were immigrants from Somalia.

But public outcry over the decision to dismiss Labor Day quickly prompted the company and union to negotiate a new contract that makes accommodations for both holidays.

In 2007, the University of Michigan installed ritual foot baths to accommodate Islamic tradition. "These things are beginning to percolate up as Shariah-adherent Muslims insist that their preferences and practices be accommodated by the rest of the population," said Frank Gaffney, founder and president of the Center for Security Policy — a Washington think tank.

Gaffney predicted the U.S. could soon face problems similar to some Western European countries, where the religious values of Muslim immigrants sometimes clash with their highly secular host cultures.

But Professor An-Na'im believes it will be different in America. "The variety of American secularism — which is much more receptive of public displays of religion and a public role for religion — is, in fact, more conducive for Muslims to be citizens and to be comfortable with their religious values and citizenship than European countries," An-Na'im said.

[HK4U]

It is amazing to me that while there is much hatred of Christians and the Christian religion in America these days that it is politically correct to bend over backwards for Muslims. We would do well to take note what has happened in England.

[FOXBARON]

Here's a wild thought.

If we have seperation of church and state in this country, which evidently seems to be a big deal to assholes like the ACLU, then that means that absolutely nothing religious in anyway can be mixed into government in any way. Therefore, using their reasoning, how can the U.S. Government ever hire a Muslim who belives in Islam?

The Muslim religion (Islam) is just not a religion, it is a way of life. It is the basis on which they live everyday and all decisions they make are made based on their religious beliefs. Their every action is allegedly in accord with Islamic Law which is their religion. They then mix their religion into everything they do and according to ACLU precepts they would be merging church and state together which is prohibited.

If we allow them foot baths and the opportunity to pray 5 times a day, let alone let them carry around prayer rugs at work aren't we mixing state and religion? Where is the seperation the ACLU is always yelling about?