Muslims and Sharia Law

The Traditional Values Coalition, a right wing group, have their panties in a twist about Muslims who are pushing Sharia law in the U.S. They are upset about attempts to get recognition for Islamic law in areas where Muslims are in greater number.

Efforts are already underway here in America to introduce Sharia enclaves in some communities. In these enclaves, Constitutional concepts like one person/one vote would be replaced by Sharia concepts which values a woman’s vote at half that of a man. In many instances, Sharia law allocates rights based on gender and religion (Islam is the only legal religion) rather than individual rights. In the United Kingdom and France, such enclaves exist and have caused conflict between Islamists and the country’s civil law.

They also worry about conflicts with Muslims who are complaining about having to violate their beliefs.

In Minneapolis in 2006, a number of Somali cabdrivers refused to carry passengers with alcohol. The Muslim Brotherhood was behind this publicity stunt. The airport’s initial plan was to cave to Sharia law and create Sharia-compliant and Sharia non-compliant cabs. An Islamic “fatwa,” or order was issued by the Muslim American Society in June 2006 and sent to the Metropolitan Airports Commission. The fatwa stated that Islamic law prohibits Muslim cabdrivers from carrying passengers with alcohol “because it involves cooperating in sin according to Islam.”

Now I do, in fact, share concerns about rampaging religions wanting to do things their way, all the while ignoring secular law. For example, Christian pharmacists who refuse to fill prescriptions for birth control, or the morning after pill, and Doctors who refuse to perform legal procedures because it, "involves cooperating in sin" according to Christianity. If you want to force women to wear large black sacks and then kill them if they don't? Fine. But as long as you live here, in the U.S., you don't get to force your stupidity on others. Ditto for Christians.

We live in a secular country, and if your wife or daughter wants to go about her day without observing Islamic dress codes, more power to her. And if you are stupid enough to assault her, or worse yet, kill her, then we will put your sorry ass in jail where it belongs. And I think it is time we showed that we mean what we say, and make sure that Christian pharmacists either dispense the medicine they are supposed to, or they can bloody well retire, and let more competent people do the job.

I really think it is time to quit giving religion the respect it doesn't deserve. You want to believe in a god? Fine, you have that right. But you don't have the right to force it on others, and just because I respect your right to believe, it does not mean I have to respect your belief.