November 2nd, 2010
10:56 PM ET
12 years ago
Oklahomans vote on Sharia law ban
(CNN) - Looks like Oklahomans will not, repeat not, be subject to Sharia law anytime in the near future. Local media in the state, tonight, is reporting that ballot initiative SQ755, which bars state courts from using Islamic or international law, is on the path to approval– Yes votes outweighing Nos by more than two-to-one, with about 40-percent of the precincts in.
The outcome was never in doubt, but the measure's necessity was, and is. Constitutional scholars point out that Sharia law is religious law, and the first words of the First Amendment say, "Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion."
Still, the fact that it got on the ballot in the first place says a lot about what's on voters' minds.
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Sharia law is part of Islamic existance. Muslims believe it is the law of their god. It is the law that is being followed in Iran, who in a day or two will put to death a woman who, they say, committed adultry, and will be stoned to death after she is buried in the ground up to her shoulders. The moderate, peaceful, muslims in USA believe they should live under this code. Perhaps they will assign a backroom in their new NY mosque where they can cut off the hands of those convicted of theft. Thank you people of Oklahoma City for voting this down. I have a feeling it will come up again and already is in a few courts in England. Defend our Constitution and keep religion out of state affairs.
the only thing regrettable about this is that OK felt the need to back up the "no establishment of religion clause". Any religion. Christians are among the greatest proponents of separation of church and state. By church, you should read any religion.
Sharia law IS religious law for a theocracy. Have you not paid any attention to the concessions made by Europeans to Muslims? And Christians are bashed for being good citizens? God gave you your liberty, Sharia proponents would take it away from you. Go live in an Islamic theocracy for a while and then come back and tell me Oklahomans are paranoid. I love muslims and want them to join us in a shared public space of freedom. Many of them are here precisely because they want this, too. I be you ask your muslim friends they'd agree that we need to protect religious freedom, and that Shariah law threatens it.
I really don't understand the comments here. The vote was to reiterate the feelings of the voter that the constitutional law WILL be upheld in Oklahoma. We all know that the federal government is trying to convince us that the constitution doesn't matter, or the word "illegal" any more in the US. So, the states have to make sure that it means something in their state. So, keep calling people names and belittle them to make yourself seem so much more informed, but your comments just prove how clueless you really are.
Are all of you (including the "reporter" that wrote this piece) actually so ignorant of current events that you are unaware that Sharia law has actually been used several times in various trials, most recently in New Jersey (in a case which was fortunately reversed on appeal) where some dimwit judge stated:
"This court does not feel that, under the circumstances, that this defendant had a criminal desire to or intent to sexually assault or to sexually contact the plaintiff when he did. The court believes that he was operating under his belief that it is, as the husband, his desire to have sex when and whether he wanted to, was something that was consistent with his practices and it was something that was not prohibited."
This law would prevent the elevation of Sharia or international law over state or Federal law. Strange times we live in where this is needed, though.
While the specific banning of Sharia Law is the very definition of lunacy, the more important part of this is likely the banning of International Law. As I understand it, when a Tulsa judge is making his decision, he is now explicitly prevented from considering what judges in Barcelona, Spain or Adelaide, Australia decided in a similar cases. In which case, this is more xenophobic than anti-muslim.
We already have laws on the books concerning religions. For example Catholic priests who molest young children ARE subject to the law of the land. Sharia law violates everything our constitution stands for and is a throwback to the dark ages. Would you want to see your young daughters brutally flogged in public or stoned to death for daring to show their faces? That IS called for under Sharia law and happens ALL the time in muslim controlled countries.
Are ANY of you seriously advocating this kind of behavior in the United States?
So if murder is prohibited under Sharia law does this nullify any law against murder? Otherwise you will be enforcing Sharia law.
You people are crying about this and saying Okies are stupid for doing this because it's in the Constitution. Tell that to the judge in New Jersey that ruled according to Sharia law. The Bill of Rights CLEARLY states that the government will NOT infringe on the right to bear arms, yet 4 Supreme Court Justices voted in favor of gun control laws.
I'm a Democrat in Oklahoma. We had the most state questions of any state, eleven. Ten were referred to the ballot by the Republican legislature. English is now our official language, it will now be easier for the Koch brothers to put initiative petitions on the ballot in the future, and our citizens cannot be required to participate in Obamacare against their wishes. All these were designed just to stir up the right wing vote, and it worked. Our eight statewide offices, held by Democrats the last four years, all went Republican, and by strong margins. We're also getting a Ten Commandments monument on the Capitol grounds, to keep us focused. Heaven help us.
Are people in Oklahoma REALLY this paranoid and stupid?
Jonathan hanemann, you are right.
Sharia law is a threat to all the Free World.
In the UK, there are Islamic courts that judge people according to sharia law !!!
Sharia law is both religious and political. Its aim is to impose Islam to the world, and to submit or kill all non-Muslims.
Those ridiculous leftists don't have a clue about the islamofascism that is attacking us.
They live in complete denial.
Ol' dude: The case wasn't "fortunately" reversed on appeal, it was reversed on repeal like it was supposed to be.
One of the prices we pay for Democracy is that occasionally, we elect an idiot to office. This judge is a good example. This ruling would be just as idiotic as saying that it's OK to kill somebody if you think that Jesus told you to do so, or ruling that the Church of Scientology can seize property from it's members. He simply made an unconstitutional ruling, and a higher court corrected that ruling.
So no, this ballot measure IS NOT needed. Even if that law was already on the books, it wouldn't have stopped a judge from making the same ruling. It only would have made an appeal somewhat easier, but considering that the judge violated the Constitution in the first place, the appeal was pretty damn easy.
Don't know why people here just want to insult oklahoma. Banning Sharia is an unneccessary measure, but certainly not an unjust one. If you think that someone is unintelligent just because of where they live you aren't high up enough on the intellegence scale to insult others intellect. I have plenty of family members living back on the reservation in OK and if you don't care for America or the inhabitants of american states maybe you should just head on back to where your european ancestors came from. They'll be plenty of us willing to see that happen to people who have no respect for what this land has done for them.
The Sharia law question also prohibits our judges from enforcing laws of other countries and international treaties. They can only enforce and interpret the US and state constitutions and statutes.
From what I have seen this day, in Oklahoma, is a group of people standing for what they believe in. They took a stand and voted the way that they felt was best for them and the life they wish to have. Thats the sheer beauty of the United States and its Constitution. A person has the right to vote as they see fit! So what if you call Oklahomans "hillbillies" or "fearmongering hicks". The fact that Oklahomans stood up and voted, whether you voted for or against the measure, and were not coerced or manipulated to think like someone else. Many Oklahomans understand the federal clause and also understand that if you tolerate one issue now... you will have to endure ten issues later. I have lived, fought, and traveled all over the world and have seen the effects that Sharia and International Law has on the peoples of many nations. So I say "way to go Oklahomans!" And remember that people who can still vote are a stronger people than the ones who can no longer vote!
It would be nice if all those hotheads mouthing off at the TOP of the comments section had bothered to read to the clear explanations at the BOTTOM. Oklahoma, in fact, would appear to be AHEAD of the rest of us in making their views on the sanctity of our constitution clear.
Oh well, Rome fell EXACTLY the same way that America is going. After a Thousand years, their Society decayed to the point where no one would defend Her, and Her Enemies burned Her to the ground while the citizens partied!! Naaa, History doesn't repeat itself, right. Daaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa!
Ol' dude
I didn't realize that Sharia law was already used in my home state of NJ. How can any religious law prevail over American laws? It's like saying if someone commits a crime, even a serious one, they can claim that their religion says it's ok ? And that person must go free ?
Sad to say, my state of Arkansas might be the next to ban Sharia law.
Well, why not? We don't have enough REAL threats and problems!
Sharia Law has no place in any State or Federal Court. It violates the Civil Rights Act...