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Banning Sharia Law in Oklahoma

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Rex Duncan, Constitutionally Unaware Islamophobe

Well, you knew it had to be coming given all the Islamphobia flying around the right-end of the political spectrum: a state considering a constitutional amendment banning Sharia Law.

Yes, Sharia Law. Bush and his cronies spent eight years violating the Constitution, running the country into the ground, violating the First Amendment, systematically plundering this country and its tax-payers to line their pockets, and these people are worried about Sharia Law.

Because, as we all know, the imminent threat of Sharia Law transcends every other threat to the United States. No doubt the same people who oppose Sharia Law so vehemently would be more than happy to welcome Mosaic Law, which is, ironically and hypocritically enough, nearly identical to Sharia Law. Both, folks, are essentially Bronze Age law codes. Don’t let anyone kid you, and neither have any place in a modern liberal democracy.

Oklahoma – not Texas this time – is the place. Yes, they’re hosting a referendum on Islam – State Question 755 the “Save Our State” amendment. If it is passed, state courts will be prohibited from considering Islamic Sharia law in making rulings. That’s fine with me; they shouldn’t be considering Mosaic Law either since our government is secular.

The bill’s sponsor is Representative Rex Duncan (R-Sand Springs) who claims the legislation is intended to “protect” the courts from being “hijacked” by people we are “at war” with. Because, Rex, we are at war with Islam, right? Wrong. We are not at war with Islam. We are at war with a sect within Islam that is itself at war with Islam. Islam is not the enemy, Rex. You are.

Here’s what Rex says:

Oklahoman’s recognize that America was founded on Judeo Christian principles and we’re unapologetically grateful that God has blessed America and blessed our state. State amendment 755, the Save Our State Amendment is a simple effort to insure our courts are not used to undermine those founding principles and turn Oklahoma into something our founding fathers and our great grandparents wouldn’t recognize.

No, Rex, America was not founded on Judeo-Christian principles, and the whole “Judeo-Christian” concept is a mirage, an artificial construct. There is no such thing. American law is based on English common-law, which while it is impacted by Pagan Roman Law is in no way based on the Ten Commandments. Nor, Rex, if you will take the time to look, will you find mention of YHWH, Jesus, the Bible, or the Ten Commandments in the Constitution or the Bill of Rights.

Epic fail, Rex. Truly epic fail.

And of course this is all despite the complete absence of evidence that any court weighs Sharia Law in its rulings, and even Rex admits as much but excuses himself by saying,

This is a pre-emptive strike to make sure that liberal judges don’t take the bench in an effort to use their position to undermine those founding principles that are international or Sharia law. the other part of the question is to prohibit all state courts from considering international or Sharia law when considering cases, even cases of first impression.

Rex thinks Islam is too harsh on women, compared to say, modern Republicans like Sharron Angle who think women should stay at home while the man works – excluding Sharron herself, of course. Rex says Islam’s treatment of women is incompatible with American principles. To be perfectly honest, so is the American conservative’s treatment of women. The record speaks for itself; Rex is not likely to jump up in support of women’s rights. No other conservative has.

Rex seems eager to join the lemming-race of conservatives – a race that includes Newt Gingrich who came out with a similar position at the Value Voters Summit this month, Lt. Gov Ron Ramsey (R) of Tennessee, and Lynne Torgerson (I) who is running for the Minnesota House – trying to outdo each other in craziness:

It’s a growing threat frankly. This again is a pre-emptive 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. And other states have looked away and kow towed to political correctness, have lost the chance perhaps to save their state. I believe Oklahoma voters at a margin greater than 90% will approve this state amendment and when we do, other red states and maybe even some lesser blue states will decide their states are worth saving too.

Frankly, Rex, I’m more worried about the Christian fundamentalism here at home than Islamic fundamentalism over there, thousands of miles away. There is no sign, no evidence, not the remotest indication that there is any threat of Sharia Law overturning the Constitution. Without a shred of evidence, you go off the deep end. You’re not a “true patriot” Rex, but a fear monger. Nothing but a lowly fear mongering demagogue, indistinguishable from all the other fear mongering demagogues on the right.

Given a choice between Mosaic and Sharia Law…well, there isn’t one, to be frank. They’re equally unhealthy choices for a modern liberal democracy that enshrines ideas of tolerance and pluralism – things our Nation was founded upon, by the way, Rex, if you’ll only bother to look.

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Hrafnkell Haraldsson

Hrafnkell Haraldsson, a social liberal with leanings toward centrist politics has degrees in history and philosophy. His interests include, besides history and philosophy, human rights issues, freedom of choice, religion, and the precarious dichotomy of freedom of speech and intolerance. He brings a slightly different perspective to his writing, being that he is neither a follower of an Abrahamic faith nor an atheist but a polytheist, a modern-day Heathen who follows the customs and traditions of his Norse ancestors. He maintains his own blog, A Heathen's Day, which deals with Heathen and Pagan matters, and Mos Maiorum Foundation www.mosmaiorum.org, dedicated to ethnic religion. He has also contributed to NewsJunkiePost, GodsOwnParty and Pagan+Politics.

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