Save us from “Save Our State”: anti-Sharia legislative efforts across the United States and their impact

摘要

This article examines the impact of anti-Sharia legislation in the United States. It discusses what sharia law is generally, noting that particular applications and interpretations will vary depending upon jurisdiction and location, and looks specifically at the contexts in which sharia is observed in the US and considered by US courts. It examines two different types of anti-sharia legislation - sharia-specific and facially neutral - concluding that some of such laws and bills are unconstitutional, many are unwise because they can negatively impact businesses and the enforcement of US laws and judgments overseas, and all are unnecessary because the US legal system already possesses the necessary tools to block any use of sharia that would violate a party's constitutional right or violate public policy. The article concludes by noting that although anti-sharia legislation and the supporters of such legislation tend to equate sharia observance with dangerous and anti-American tendencies, the debate over such legislation is a prime example of how Muslims in the US are in fact actively engaging and working within the US political and legal systems.View full textDownload full textKeywordssharia, anti-sharia, law, legislation, Constitution, civil rights, Muslims in the USRelated var addthis_config = { ui_cobrand: "Taylor & Francis Online", services_compact: "citeulike,netvibes,twitter,technorati,delicious,linkedin,facebook,stumbleupon,digg,google,more", pubid: "ra-4dff56cd6bb1830b" }; Add to shortlist Link Permalink http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/1528817X.2012.719286