Is Sharia law an unwanted imposition on American culture and society or the seed of fundamental change meant to challenge the Constitution for survival?
There is a growing concern over the movement to integrate the influence of Sharia law in our communities and our courts. One such alleged honor killings was brought to light in Arizona in January of 2011 with the slaying of a young girl by her father who when asked why said It was because she was becoming too westernized. Fox News went on to report a total of five thousand women and girls a year are victims of honor killings at the hands of those who believe it is their duty according to Sharia law. Putting aside for the moment murder in any form in the U.S. is a crime and in many cases punishable by death; these are acts against women in the U.S. could be the catalysis for indoctrination of Sharia law as companion to the Constitution as some so called moderate Muslims would wish while the radical Muslims movement would have the Constitution replaced altogether.
Likewise at the shallow end of the pool by allowing killings of women under the shroud of religion we run the risk of those who would do harm to convert to Islam in order to carry out their intentions to do wrong. At the deep end of the pool we would allow the struggle for equality for women and equal protection under the law to be undone forsaking all those who have raged against the persecution of women their sacrifice and their lives so women could live free of persecution. American women have the right of protection. Have we not built safe houses for abused women and their children to offer them safety and protection from an abusive person who means to do them harm?
How do we say some of the women have equal protection of their lives and some do not? As Americans dont we have the responsibility to stand up for those who wish to join us and cannot stand up for themselves? To say women and their daughters in America can wake up every morning with the fear of being murdered because of the beliefs of their male family members is almost beyond my understanding; that these men can murder without remorse or fear of the consequences for their actions.
One case outlined in The American Public Policy Alliance report published in November 2010. New Jersey - July 23 2010 where a Muslim man raped his wife and attempted to use Sharia law as a defense. His wifes testimony from court described how her husband raped her while she cried. The husband said to her as she reported to the court This is according to our religion. You are my wife I (can) do anything to you. The woman she should submit and do anything I ask her to do.
The first judge to hear the case said the man was within his rights based on his region to rape his wife. However the appeals court found the original judge over the case was wrong in his judgement and should not have excused the mans behavior. They granted the womans restraining order but did not charge the man with the crime of rape. Countless other cases such as this can be found where the representation of justice is unclear and too often mishandled. The letter of the law is clear; however the judgments become murky as we tread into unfamiliar waters with the entanglement of foreign verdicts. Moreover the attempt of those either accused or defending to invoke their home countrys influence of law on our judicial system in most cases from the report have proven to be inadmissible.
The American Public Policy Alliance report titled Representative Civil Cases involving Sharia Law outlines eleven cases total where in some manner people try to invoke policies of Sharia law in either religious or civil capacity to support their position. In all the cases of the reports all seem to appear to be unaware of the fact that state civil court is not a world court and that the law of the land where prudent justice is in play will prevail.
All of this is only the briefest of examples of what is taking place all across America. Sharia law does not represent the social structure of a free society or protect the rights of its citizens. Rather it deals out punishment for civil disobedient with practices reminisce of the brutal crusades. The radical Muslims pushing Sharia law mean to have its influence felt around the globe by any methods available to them.
America is only beginning to feel the weight of influence put upon her by Muslims and others from the Middle East as they struggle to understand the western way of life and the west bears them patience and courtesy in their journey.
