On Friday, December 16, KARAMAH hosted a town hall with the All Dulles Area Muslim Society (ADAMS) at the ADAMSCenter. The town hall meeting, called Shari’ah Law: Legal, Christian, and Muslim Perspectives on Religious Freedom and Respect for the U.S. Constitution attracted approximately 200 Muslim, Christian, and Jewish community members to discuss Islam in theU.S. and recent anti-Shari’ah campaigns. The event featured three experts on Islamic, Christian, and Civil Rights law who led the conversation by making brief statements and answering questions from audience members.
This town hall, which is the fifth in KARAMAH’s series, resulted in a lively and frank discussion about the status of Shari’ah in theU.S., how Muslims practice Shari’ah, and the impact of anti-Shari’ah movements on American-Muslims and society at large. Rev. Dr. Richard Jones opened the town hall by reminding the audience that he is “in communion with Dr. Rowan Williams, the Archbishop of Canterbury in England, who set off a fierce public discussion in 2008 when he suggested that in the United Kingdom ‘a higher level of public legal regard’ might be paid to Shari’ah.” Afterwards, Rev. Dr. Jones noted the influence that two Muslim scholars had on him – Dr. Adam El-Sheikh and Dr. Taha Jabir al-Alwani.
After his initial remarks, Rev. Dr. Jones stated the three beliefs that guided his views on the role Shari’ah should play in theU.S.legal system. These include:
1) The belief that all citizens should live under the same law
2) Americais composed of many different communities that provide norms for their members
3) Many communities that Americans are members of have overlapping jurisdictions
As a result of these beliefs, Rev. Dr. Jones stated that the challenge we now face is how to reconcile jurisdictions that seem to overlap.
Following Rev. Dr. Jones’ remarks, Imam Magid, Executive Director of the ADAMS Center, spoke about what is Shari’ah and the role it should play in the U.S. Imam Magid began by explaining that Shari’ah is not simply a penal code, but that it guides all of the actions of a Muslim’s life. This includes things such as prayer and giving to charitable causes. To help explain Shari’ah further, Imam Magid explained that there are five principles that guide Shari’ah – also known as Maqasid of Shari’ah. These are:
1) Protection of all human life
2) Protection of all people’s faiths – especially religious minorities
3) Protection of legal property/ownership
4) Protection of all children
5) Protection of all people’s honor
Following this, Imam Magid stated how Shari’ah is practiced in theU.S.The primary example given by Imam Magid was officiating marriages. Just as Christian and Jewish clergy officiate marriages under their religious laws, Muslim clergy officiate marriages under Islamic law. Beyond this example, Imam Magid stated a simple rule that American-Muslims should follow, stating, “A person should not violate the laws of the land where he lives. This is an Islamic principle.” He also stated that Shari’ah should never be imposed upon any individual who does not subscribe to it.
Finally, Engy Abdelkader, a member of KARAMAH’s Board of Directors and a lawyer in New Jersey, spoke about the civil rights and constitutional implications of anti- Shari’ah legislation that have passed in at least three states in the U.S.. Ms. Abdelkader began by explaining why anOklahomajudge issued an injunction preventing the state constitution from being permanently amended to prohibit state and federal judges from even considering Shari’ah when adjudicating cases. The federal district judge agreed that such a prohibition would most likely result in violations of the Free Exercise and Establishment Clause of the U.S. Constitution. Beyond that, Ms. Abdelkader explained how so-called anti-Shari’ah bills would strip American Muslims of many rights in cases involving religious employment discrimination claims, foreign child custody decrees, commercial business transactions, and more. Ms. Abdelkader concluded by remarking that theU.S.is an international “role model and example” emphasizing the need for the U.S. to continue being an international leader on religious freedom.
Following these statements, panelists took questions from the audience and continued to discuss these issues amongst themselves. By the end of the evening, the panelists all agreed on the importance of fostering deeper understanding of all religions and expanding interfaith efforts to stand for religious freedom.
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