Alexandra Wigglesworth
Metro Philadelphia
The Council on American-Islamic Relations and city religious leaders are fighting what they call an “anti-Sharia” bill. The proposal from state Rep. RoseMarie Swanger, R-Lebanon, would ban the application of foreign legal codes or systems that don’t grant the same rights as the U.S. Constitution.
Though the bill itself does not explicitly reference Sharia, a memo from Swanger to all House members said, “America has unique values of liberty which do not exist in foreign legal systems, particularly Sharia law. … Unfortunately, increasingly, foreign laws and legal doctrines — including and especially Shariah law — are finding their way into U.S. court cases.”
CAIR Civil Rights Director Amara Chaudhry called the House bill itself unconstitutional. “The Supreme Court of the U.S. already stated that religious freedom [cannot] be used to circumvent a law,” she said.
Marwan Kreidie of the Philadelphia Arab-American Community Development Corp. said the legislation is similar to bills that have passed or are in litigation in seven other states.
“There’s a conspiracy afoot here,” Kreidie said. “Anti-Sharia laws are being introduced in 20 states by … people who want to make Muslims in America a political wedge issue.”
What it’s used for
Sharia is typically used as a way of dealing with estate settlements, divorce and inheritances. “The purpose … is regulating matters among themselves,” said Vic Compher of Interfaith Peace and Reconciliation. “[This bill] would be like going into the Catholic Church and saying, ‘You have to allow divorce.”
