Oklahoma voters may be out of work. They may even be losing their homes. But at least they won't have to worry about being tried in Islamic court if a ballot measure to outlaw Sharia law passes next week, reports the Los Angeles Times. There's no recorded case of Islamic Sharia law ever appearing in Oklahoma, but backers of the measure urge vigilance. "Oklahoma does not have that problem yet," said Republican state Rep. Rex Duncan, who wrote the measure placed on the ballot by the state Legislature. "But why wait until it's in the courts?" In Europe, Muslims can choose to hash out divorce and custody cases in Sharia courts. Other cases remain the province of secular jurisprudence, but advocates of the amendment say the European situation is a cautionary tale. The measure, known as state Question 755, had the support of 49 percent of Oklahoma voters back in July. No recent polling data is available, but last week the group Act for America—which trumpets its crusade against radical Islam—launched an advertising campaign to support the amendment. Representatives from the Muslim community in Oklahoma say the state is doing O.K. "There's no threat of Sharia law coming to Oklahoma and America, period," said a spokesperson from the Islamic Society of Greater Oklahoma City. "It's just a scare tactic."
Read original story in The Los Angeles Times | Friday, Oct. 29, 2010
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