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Plan To Impose Muslim Sharia In US Resurfaces
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by joellerose | March 8, 2007 at 06:54 pm
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Most Americans have only recently learned of the Sharia, the Muslim system of laws under which thieves have their hands cut off, adulterers can be stoned to death, and homosexuals can be beaten and even executed. Although recently there was a serious attempt to impose the Sharia in Canada (which failed), few Americans know that Muslim organizations like C.A.I.R. wish to impose this system in the United States, and even fewer know that Muslim organizations have been attempting to accomplish this for years. The following was recently published in “The American Muslim”, but it surprised us to learn that it is a reprint of an article first printed here in 1993.
The American Muslim (Excerpt)
February 4, 2007
Native American Courts: Precedent for an Islamic arbitral system *
Issa Smith
“In the United States today, there is a system of courts which is just outside of the federal and state court systems, known as the American Indian Tribal Courts. The Tribal Courts deal with criminal, civil and family court issues, and have their own lawyers, judges, and court officials. The Muslim Community can learn from the experience of the American Indian Tribal Court System as we attempt to implement Muslim Family Law in North America.
I will use the terms “Indian” or “American Indian” to describe the descendants of the people indigenous to North America, who are also sometimes referred to as “Native Americans.” The complex and confusing legal relationships between the United States and the American Indians begins with the U.S. Constitution which in Article 1, section 8 states: “The Congress shall have the power...to regulate Commerce with foreign nations, and among the several states, and with the Indian tribes.” Since the constitution was accepted and implemented in 1789, Indian tribes have been treated as “quasi-sovereign governments”, dependent on the United States for support and protection…."
"Although the Muslim community in North America is vastly different from the Indian community, I feel that in developing a plan for the implementation of Muslim family law, we can in some ways imitate the paradigm of the tribal court system and its supporting network. In particular, I recommend that as a first step, supporting organizations dealing with Islamic family law be established immediately. A professional association of Muslims in the law field (of whatever specialty) is a must. A law school students’ support group should be formed, and Muslim youth should be encouraged to enter this field.
A second step would be to establish institutes in the U.S. which can supplement legal education with courses in Islamic family law. At the same time, pressure should be put on law schools to include courses in Shariah taught by Muslims. An idea suggested in several quarters and being developed by the American Muslim Council, is the moot court where students and legal experts can act out Muslim family court scenarios.
There is a serious lack of Muslim social service agencies. Muslim Family Services in Brooklyn, New York is one of the oldest and best-known—an example to be emulated elsewhere. These organizations will have to be in place when we start asking for control of our family court issues.
The process of implementing Muslim family law will not be accomplished overnight. Changes of their type take place very slowly in American society, and our community is far from being prepared for this tak. I commend the continental council of Masajid for organizing this conference, and bringing together so many workers and thinkers. I pray to Allah the real decisions are made here that can be implemented by those ready to work. However, I strongly urge that consideration be given to political realities and the sensitivities of the American public. Such a radical change in American law—allowing Muslims to take control over their family law issues - must be initiated from the indigenous Muslim community here in the United States. To have it seem that this initiative is originating from overseas or from organizations financed overseas, would create a very negative impression that would likely destroy this effort.
*Originally published in the print edition of The American Muslim April-June Spring 1993” The American Muslim
Since, in addition to the primitive practices mentioned above, women have virtually no rights under Muslim law, the support that the American far left gives to Muslim causes is baffling to many Americans.
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Most RecentMost Recommended Comments (5)
at 10:27 on March 9th, 2007
women have virtually no rights.... back it up! they have rights buddy. they had rights long before even the suffragettes!
at 11:31 on March 9th, 2007
Saudi gang-rape victim gets 90 lashes for International Women's Day
Thu, 8 Mar 2007
* After being kidnapped at knifepoint, gang-raped 14 times by her captors and then beaten by her brother, a young Saudi woman is sentenced to 90 lashes - for meeting a man who was not a relative
* Reported in the Arab media and Fox News, but.....
* Where is the reporting in The New York Times?
* BBC World also ignores it, instead leading with a bogus anti-Israel story
This dispatch is dedicated to the real women victims around the world, to mark today's International Women's Day
---------------------------------------------------------------
AFTERWARDS, SHE TRIED TO COMMIT SUICIDE
Today, March 8, marks International Women's Day. The mainstream media, including the New York Times and the BBC, have – true to form, completely ignored the news that "A Saudi woman who was kidnapped at knifepoint, gang-raped and then beaten by her brother has been sentenced to 90 lashes – for meeting a man who was not a relative."
The sentencing earlier this week has been reported by AFP and in Arab media, including the Khaleej Times (published in the United Arab Emirates) and the Saudi Gazette. But as far as I can tell the only Western mainstream media outlets to have covered the story are Fox News and the Scotsman (a Scottish newspaper). This is despite the fact that most Western media subscribe to AFP.
The 19-year-old Saudi woman was abducted by a gang of men wielding kitchen knives who took her to a farm where she was raped 14 times by her captors. Five men were arrested for the rape and given jail terms ranging from 10 months to five years by a panel of judges in the eastern Saudi city of Qatif, near the teenager's hometown.
But the judges also decided to sentence the young woman, identified only as "G," to 90 lashes. "G" was told by one of the judges that she was lucky not to have been given jail time. She said yesterday that she would appeal against her sentence.
The woman told the Saudi Gazette that she tried to commit suicide because of her ordeal and was beaten by her younger brother because the rape had brought shame on their family.
Unrelated men and women are forbidden from interacting in public in Saudi Arabia, which strictly enforces Islamic Sharia law of a kind many European Muslims say they would like to introduce in countries like Britain and France.
The woman also told the paper she tried to commit suicide because of her ordeal and was beaten by her younger brother because the rape had brought shame on their family. Fuziyah Al Ouni, described as an activist by the paper, said she was outraged by the case. 'By sentencing her to 90 lashes they are sending a message that she is guilty. No rape victim is guilty,' she said.
There are severe legal restrictions on women in Saudi Arabia, including a strict dress code required outside the home and a ban on driving.
* On the official International Women's Day website, there is nothing about Saudi Arabia,
just publicity for the "Lighting candles for Women in Palestinian society" event.
* For more on Saudi Arabia see the dispatch "Saudi police ban the sale of cats and dogs (& Gaddafi's son: Pope must convert)" (Sept. 21, 2006) www.tomgrossmedia.com/mideastdispatches/archives/000782.html, in which two of the notes were on a six-year-old girl burned to death in an "honor" killing in Birmingham, England, and a horrific 12-day gang rape of a mother and daughter in Pakistan as punishment for the daughter wanting to go to college.
"ADOPT A UNIVERSAL STANDARD OF HUMAN RIGHTS"
WOMEN'S RIGHTS ACTIVISTS ARRESTED IN TEHERAN
Iranian security forces on Sunday arrested 33 women's rights activists rallying outside a Teheran court where a group of their fellow campaigners were standing trial for having demonstrated last year. The 33 were taken to the notorious Evin prison, which has the largest number of political prisoners in Iran and where many prisoners say they have been tortured. The arrests on Sunday were part of a crackdown against political activity by women and protests in general since President Ahmadinejad came to power in 2005.
Five women were standing trial for organizing an "unauthorized" rally to ask for equal rights for women. Seventy people, most of them women, were arrested at the protest last June when they called for improved rights and changes to laws discriminating against women. Under Iranian law, married women have to go through a lengthy process to be granted a divorce, and the testimony of two women is equal to that of one man.
* Today marks International Women's Day, and western NGOs next year might want to try criticizing the following practices against women, which are widespread in the Muslim world:
1. Female Genital Mutilation (FGM)
2. Trafficking of women
3. Incest
4. Honor Killings
They also might like to demand the rights of women to:
1. Freedom of religion
2. Education
3. Free speech
4. Participation in the electoral process
at 10:01 on March 12th, 2007
stories like that may be real but that little list you put doesn't mean thats what Islam is about.
1. FGM is not something that is encouraged in Islam although it is a CULTURAL thing in some societies.
2. Trafficking of women???? Islam doesn't say anything about that. Again- culture and society play that part-just like anywhere else in the world.
3. Incest??? wtf. That is something that is forbidden in Islam.
4. Honor killings are purely a CULTURAL thing and has no standing in Islam.
AS for the 'demand the rights of women to' bit:
1. freedom of religion- every woman has that RIGHT in Islam already.
2. Education- thats is something that everyone, man or woman MUST do according to Islam and its teachings.
3. Free speech- thats allowed as long as it isn't blasphemous to any religion or offensive. there are rules to this which i wont be going into on here.
4.women are allowed to vote!
You may want to learn a little bit more about the subjects you decide to write about in the future instead of making your mind up from little bits and pieces of media writing which is hardly the most reliable of sources!
I'm not denying that problems exist in muslim countries- just like anywhere else in the world- but to say its because of islam is just wrong!
at 10:08 on March 12th, 2007
It is absurd for you to maintain that Muslim women have anything like the kind of rights enjoyed by non-Muslim women. Too many former Muslim women like Homa Arjomand and Ayaan Hirsi Ali have escaped to tell us what it's like and to warn us for us to believe such nonsense.
at 12:14 on March 12th, 2007
the only thing that is absurd is the fact you think muslim women are oppressed because of the laws of islam when they enjoyed [and still enjoy] many many rights way before the 'modern women' of today had rights. and what kind of rights do women have in the modern/western world exactly? the 'right' to walk around half naked? well why cant muslim women have the right to cover?? muslim women have the right to own their own property, run their own businesses, have the right to learn about their religion and be educated to the highest degree, they have the right to divorce, they have the right to work, the have the right to wear whatever they wish in the presence of their own relatives. they dont oppress themselves by undressing as much as they can and traipsing down the street like hookers, doing drugs, sleeping around with whoever, whenever. now thats not to say ALL non-muslim women are like that i am sure you will agree with that! you cant paint everyone with the same brush. and its obvious you dont personally know [or heck, even met] a single educated practising muslim person who can correct your low knowledge on the subject of islam. for whatever 10 muslim women who tell you they feel oppressed, there will be 100000 knowledgable muslim women who will tell you they are not! how dare you assume we are ignorant or our own religion and our beliefs when it is you who are. get a clue!