Archive for January, 2012
Court Upholds Ruling Blocking Oklahoma Sharia and International Law Ban
1.10.12
Discriminatory and Unnecessary Law Maligned American Muslims and Presented Legal Bind For Courts
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DENVER, CO – A federal appeals court today unanimously upheld a ruling that blocked implementation of a discriminatory and unnecessary Oklahoma state constitutional amendment that would have prohibited state courts from considering what is broadly described as Islamic “Sharia law” and “international law.”
The court concluded that by singling out Islam for unfavorable treatment in state courts, the law likely violates the Establishment Clause of the First Amendment. The court rejected the state’s argument that the constitutional amendment was necessary to protect against improper application of Sharia law, explaining:
“Appellants do not identify any actual problem the challenged amendment seeks to solve. Indeed, they admitted . . . that they did not know of even a single instance where an Oklahoma court had applied Sharia law or used the legal precepts of other nations or cultures, let alone that such applications or uses had resulted in concrete problems in Oklahoma.”
The American Civil Liberties Union and the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) challenged the amendment on behalf of Muneer Awad, executive director of CAIR’s Oklahoma chapter.
“As the court recognized, this amendment did nothing more than target one More >
ACLU of OK Stands Up to Efforts to Discriminate Against Gay & Lesbian National Guard Soldiers
1.10.12
Today, the ACLU of Oklahoma is calling on the Speaker of the House to send a clear signal that HB 2195 is dead on arrival and that the House will not waste a single minute considering the politically motivated act of a single legislator, and instead, will stand with the brave men and women of the Oklahoma National Guard, regardless of their sexual orientation.
In addition to potentially jeopardizing federal funding, this legislation distracts our legislature from efforts that truly support our troops by ensuring that when they return from service they will find a strong economy, educational opportunities, and affordable health care awaiting them.
A similar measure was proposed in Virgina last session. That bill died in subcommittee after the Attorney General, a socially conservative Republican, noted that, if it passed, the federal government could and probably would withhold federal funding for the VA Guard. Other policy makers highlighted that More >
