CAIRO: An Oklahoma District Judge ruled on Monday to block enforcement of a state constitutional amendment prohibiting the consideration of Sharia (Islamic) or international Law in Oklahoma courts. The judge's restraining order will remain in effect until November 29. Muneer Awad, Executive Director of the Oklahoma branch of the Center for American-Islamic Relations (CAIR), filed the motion to stop Oklahoma's State Board of Elections form certifying the election results. Certification would make the amendment part of Oklahoma's state constitution. The amendment, dubbed the “Sharia Ban,” appeared on Oklahoma's November 2 ballot and was approved by 70 percent of voters. Voters read the following text on their ballots: “It makes courts rely on federal and state law when deciding cases. It forbids courts from considering or using international law. It forbids courts from considering or using Sharia Law.” Sharia Law was defined as: “Islamic law. It is based on two principal sources, the Koran and the teaching of Mohammed.” Awad sees the Sharia Ban as vilifying his faith in the eyes of Oklahomans. CAIR “strongly opposes any law that is discriminatory and that targets one religious community,” Awad told Bikya Masr in a telephone interview. “It's not even hidden. The Islamic tradition is the only one mentioned in this law.” Bikya Masr was unable to reach former representative Rex Duncan, the chief author of the bill, and Senator Anthony Sykes, one of the bill's co-authors, declined to speak to Bikya Masr. Representative Lewis Moore, another co-author of the bill, was glad to give an interview over the phone and was quick to explain that being labeled as ‘co-author' only meant that he had given his support to the bill, and not that he had actually written a single word. Regarding the ban on considering international law, Moore said the United States has “the freest form of government that any nation has ever had and has held on to for as long… I can't see bringing things that are outside into play here.” But including Sharia in the ban “will only cause us money, time, and energy,” Moore said. Oklahoma should have banned all foreign law rather than singling out Sharia, as other states have done. Awad blames Oklahoma's politicians, not its voters, for the ban's overwhelming approval on election day. “Islamophobia happens to be politically popular right now,” he said. The measure was dubbed the ‘to save our state amendment,' and Awad says its authors “used Islamophobia and fear mongering as tactics” to win over voters. He also stressed that while the Sharia Ban received 70 percent approval at the polls, Oklahoma saw less than fifty percent voter turnout on November 2 and the votes for the ban actually accounted for less than twenty percent of Oklahoma's population, or about forty percent of registered voters. Muslims make up less than one percent of Oklahoma's population, and Awad says most Oklahomans don't know much about Islam. “When people in authority misinform them, we can't be critical of those who went out and voted,” Awad said. “It is the politicians who must be held accountable.” Moore said “people are nervous about Sharia law,” highlighting Awad's statement that more Oklahomans don't know anything about it. Moore connected Oklahomans' nervousness to the Islamophobia and misunderstanding of Islam that has proliferated in the United States following the September 11, 2001 attacks and the so-called War on Terror. “We are in a war with an ideology that all around the world wishes us harm,” Moore told Bikya Masr. “I don't know if that's right or not, but we see Sharia law and mosques as part of that effort against us. We're sending our boys and girls to fight somewhere else when there is a softer battle here on our home front.” CAIR is trying to change that perception. Awad said that over 90 percent of CAIR work involves community outreach. Members participate in interfaith dialogue, community service, and find other ways to interact with community. “It's about meeting everyday people,” Awad said, and showing them “we have the same concerns” about the community. Awad and Moore agree on one thing: talking is good. Moore told Bikya Masr that if this law has brought up things that people feel they need to talk about, then that is a good thing. BM
