Nashville, TN – A Republican state lawmakers have proposed a bill that would make following the Islamic code known as Shariah law a felony punishable by 15 years in jail.
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First Amendment Center scholar Charles Haynes told The Tennessean the bill is based on a complete misunderstanding of Shariah, which he described as a set of voluntary religious rules similar to Jewish religious law.
The bill, introduced last week by Rep. Judd Matheny of Tullahoma and Sen. Bill Ketron of Murfreesboro, states that it exempts the peaceful practice of Islam, but it also labels any adherence to Shariah — which includes peaceful religious practices — as treasonous.
Matheny said he was given the bill by the conservative Tennessee Eagle Forum. Eagle Forum State President Bobbie Patray said it was drafted by David Yerushalmi, an Arizona-based attorney who runs the Society of Americans for National Existence, a nonprofit that claims following Shariah is treasonous.
Haynes called the proposed law “nonsense” as well as unnecessary, because people of all faiths have to follow secular law in the U.S.
“The government can’t label religious laws as wrong or treasonous or evil,” he said. “The government may not take sides in religion. It may not say what is a good religion or a bad religion.”
Matheny said it is not his intent to criminalize religious practices such as preparations for prayer and dietary guidelines. He said he would consider amending the bill.
“I’m still researching it,” he said. “My intent is to educate and to look at it.”
Most anti-Shariah bills filed in other states recently focus on the court system. In Oklahoma, voters approved a referendum in November that banned state courts from using Shariah law in their rulings, but a federal judge barred its implementation pending the result of a lawsuit claiming the law is unconstitutional.
Azoy, and any yid who subjects himself or his business to a din torah in a beis din should be sent to jail for LIFE. The only good news coming out of this anti- muslim hysteria is that these teabag and evangelical christian republican nutcases will demonstrate their absolute stupidity to the exent that they will make Obama look like a moderate.
These Christians just think the country belongs to them.
This is particularly frightening for historically conscious Jews like us….
Just you wait until it’s aimed at us!
A court shouldn’t take sharia into account in its rulings. If both sides agree to an arbitrator that would follow sharia, it should be allowed, as long as it doesn’t violate any US laws.
please don’t compare sharia law to yiddishkeit, lehavdil. our law does not tell us to abuse and hurt our spouses.our law does not tell us to convert the whole world to our religion….now if sharia law had something compare to dina demalchusa dina then it wud be a different story. I think this law will put a lot extremist muslims into place.
and to add to my previous comment.just like lahavdil many yidden feel that it is easier to be frum yid in EY and they moved there for religion and chinuch purposes so too these islams can move to saudi arabia and beat up their wives there, where it is legal.otherwise our constitution will have no bearing.if a muslim man beats up his wife for looking at another man, then the authorities can not mix in cuz it will compromise his religion beliefs…there will be no seder or compliance from them
It IS aimed at us. Did you hear Glenn Beck yesterday??
Right on, Rep. Judd Matheny and Sen. Bill Ketron, right on!
What does “practicing Sharia law” mean? Does this mean if they pray in the afternoon they can be arrested? There are many similar practices between Sharia and Torah law. Can one do shechita as a Jew but not do the very similar practice done by Muslims? Are sheitels OK now but Muslim headscarves not OK?
This is a VERY dangerous and slippery slope. Jews need to stand together and STRONGLY condemn this man and what he is proposing. It is a disgrace and an outrage. Any man who would do this Muslims would do it to Jews in a heartbeat!
uh, did you guys read the article carefully? The proposed statute was allegedly drafted by a Jew, David Yerushalmi. A supposedly observant Jew. One whom I suspect is incapable of recognizing irony.
but yeah. the ‘any adherence’ thing can make us problems… admitted – still, no beis din ever said it was halachically ok to blow up people who didn’t agree with them
PMOinFL, sharia law requires the whole face covered.judaism does not. if women will need to cover their whole face, THAT is a security threat.pls tell me how sheitels r a security threat?
My father comes from the house of a Chief Moroccan Rabbi where the rabbis worked with the Imams and knew them well. My father says there is no difference between Sharia and Halacha except for some minor rituals. It is just as forbidden in Islamic law to beat your wife and it is in Jewish law. Murder and suicide are also forbidden.
Muslims practice ritual slaughter (and in the US buy kosher meat), do not have relations during the wife’s menses, bury their dead promptly and sit and mourn and receive visitors. They marry by civil contract called a k’tab . Men and women pray separately in the mosque and the imam gives a speech called a “derash” every Friday.
Orthodox Islamic scholars study the laws constantly and grievances are brought before Islamic courts which rule by Sharia which in Arabic means “the way” just as Halacha does in Hebrew.
There was recently a conference held at FIU on the similarities between Sharia and Halacha. I was unable to attend, but I am sure that it was interesting.
Sharia law is a comprehensive code that encompasses all of life activities for a Muslim. Under this law, if one Muslim tries to do something as simple as use a religious contract with another muslim to create an interest free loan (as they are forbidden to charge interest) or even have a religious wedding, it would be considered treason. How would you feel if the next thing is hearing that a prozbul or chuppah were considered treason, chas v’shalom.