An opinion piece in the Washington Post caught my attention this morning. It was written by Feisal Abdul Rauf , Chairman of the Cordoba Initiative and author of “What’s Right With Islam Is What’s Right With America.” The focus of his article is encouraging a modern judiciary in Muslim nations that ensures that the laws are not in conflict with the Qur’an. This he feels will “achieve the essence of fairness and justice that are at the root of Islam“. To help non Muslims understand he likens Shariah law to our U.S. Declaration of Independence. “The Declaration says “men are endowed by their Creator with certain inalienable Rights; that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.” He continues, ” The principles behind American secular law are similar to Shariah law – that we protect life, liberty and property, that we provide for the common welfare, that we maintain a certain amount of modesty“. That certainly sounds wonderful to me, doesn’t it? His piece concludes with advice that “rather than fear Shariah law, we should understand what it actually is“.
Now, I have a really hard time with the comparison he is attempting to make here. The Declaration of Independence came into being to not only free ourselves from oppression by a sovereign king, but to free us all from oppression by religion as well. We are all given the individual rights to follow a religious belief or not as our own free will may dictate. Our laws are to be applied equally without regard to religion, sex or race. We are provided individual liberty. Sharia law, by it’s very nature as a set of religious laws, stands totally opposed to the freedoms provided to a free people.
Sharia law offers nothing but control and oppression by the clergy. What matter if that oppression is done by an individual or a group religious judiciary? It;s goal remains the same. Denial of those very inalienable rights which our creator has endowed us all with.
Shariah law is something to be feared by those who hold dear the priciples of freedom and liberty. I will agree with his advice to us to learn and understand what Shariah law actually is. So I highly recommend those who want to learn the truth visit both Robert Spencer’s Jihad Watch and Pamela Geller’s Atlas Shrugs. They are both true American Patriot’s.
