Sharia law assailed.

• Position: TRENDS AMD TRANSITIONS - Brief article

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Some state lawmakers and their constituents are concerned about the influence of Islamic law (Sharia) in America. In 2010, legislators in Louisiana and Tennessee passed laws prohibiting the use of foreign or religious law in state courts. In Oklahoma, voters passed an amendment to the state's constitution forbidding state courts from using any element of Sharia law in state courtrooms. A federal judge blocked the law, however, on the grounds that it targeted the Muslim community and potentially violated the establishment clause of the First Amendment.

In response to the ruling, Representative Sally Kern introduced a redesigned bill that would have prohibited any court action based "on any law, rule, legal code or system that would not grant the parties affected by the ruling or decision the same fundamental liberties, rights, and privileges granted under the United States and Oklahoma Constitutions." It died in committee, however, over concerns about its constitutionality.

"It's a non-issue...