American Muslim organization urges Governor Brownback to sign Kansas American Laws for American Courts Bill
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American Muslim organization urges Governor Brownback to sign
Kansas American Laws for American Courts Bill
PHOENIX, AZ (May 17, 2012) – The American Islamic Forum for Democracy (AIFD), a national American Muslim organization urges Governor Sam Brownback to sign the Kansas American Laws for American Courts bill(H Sub SB79) which the Governor received from the Kansas Legislature on May 15. In a letter sent to the Governor, AIFD president and founder Dr. Zuhdi Jasser stated that “this legislation is vital to protecting the sanctity of the American legal system, by barring Kansas courts from enforcing any foreign law, if doing so violates any rights guaranteed by the U.S. Constitution and/or the Kansas Constitution.”
Like many Americans, AIFD has been observing the efforts of a growing number of state legislatures which are seeking to address the incompatibility of various shari’ah court systems around the world with the principles and foundations of our Constitutional republic and its laws. As American Muslims, we believe that the law should treat people of all faiths equally, while protecting Muslims and non-Muslims alike from extremist attempts to use the legal instrument of shari’ah (also known as Islamic jurisprudence, or fiqh) to incubate, within the West, a highly politicized and dangerous understanding of Islam that is generally known as “Islamism” or “political Islam.” AIFD supports properly worded legislation across the country, such as the Kansas law, which does not single out any specific religion.
“Without laws like this, extrajudicial arbitration systems can exist in a vacuum without accountability to the state or the federal constitution,” said Jasser. “We support these laws not because we want to limit the free exercise of religion, but to the contrary we want to protect Muslims and non-Muslims from the oppression of theocratic legal systems that seek sanctuary under the guise of religious freedom.”
AIFD believes that the Governor’s signing of this legislation will not adversely impact the free exercise of a personal pietistic observance of Islam, Judaism, Christianity or any other faith. All people of faith need the government to protect their right to peaceful assembly, mediation and arbitration free of coercion. The Kansas law simply guarantees that it is done within the bounds of American constitutional principles.
Muslim Brotherhood legacy groups such as the Council on American Islamic Relations (CAIR) and other Islamist surrogates in the U.S. are trying their best to portray the Kansas legislation as “racist” and “discrimination against Muslims,” but at AIFD we denounce this as fear-mongering and yet another attempt to mask the Islamists’ highly politicized agenda. AIFD is based on our strong commitment to the First Amendment’s Establishment Clause and the separation between religion and state. Unfortunately, Islamist groups would like to compromise this separation and provide cover to medieval, misogynistic and homophobic laws that no Muslim is obligated to demand as public law.
“The Kansas American Laws for American Courts bill is good for Muslims in Kansas,” said Jasser. “I urge the Governor to sign this legislation and protect the sanctity of American and Kansas courts and legal system.”
About the American Islamic Forum for Democracy
The American Islamic Forum for Democracy (AIFD) is a nonprofit 501(c)(3) charitable organization. AIFD’s mission advocates for the preservation of the founding principles of the United States Constitution, liberty and freedom, through the separation of mosque and state. For more information on AIFD, please visit our website at http://www.aifdemocracy.org/.
MEDIA CONTACTS:
Gregg Edgar
Gordon C. James Public Relations
602-690-7977
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