10th Circuit Hears Arguments On Anti-Shariah Amendment As Muslim Group Endorses Michigan's Bill

Yesterday, the U.S. 10th Circuit Court of Appeals heard oral arguments in Awad v. Ziriax, a case challenging the constitutionality of Oklahoma's voter-approved constitutional amendment that bans state courts from considering international law or Shariah law. (See prior related posting.) According to the Oklahoman, Questions from the 10th Circuit bench included ones as to why Shariah law was singled out and whether the ban would affect preferences of individuals of other religions in child custody cases.

Meanwhile, RNS reports that an umbrella group known as the American Islamic Leadership Coalition is supporting a proposed Michigan law (HB 4769) that would ban courts from enforcing foreign law "if doing so would violate a right guaranteed by" the U.S. or Michigan constitution. The ALIC statement (full text) reads in part:

we stand together as a diverse coalition in support of any legislation that serves to protect and integrate our communities into the fabric of this great nation, by strengthening our accountability to the laws of the land, and the constitutions of the various states in which we live.

As American Muslims we are conscious of the fact that ...  Islamists ... in the U.S. are trying their best to portray any opposition to manifestations of shari‘ah law as “racism” and “discrimination against Muslims.” However, as a coalition of traditional, liberal and secular Muslim Americans, we denounce this fear-mongering and playing of the race card, which only serves to mask the Islamists’ highly politicized agenda.