Oklahoma Passes Bill Forbidding Courts From Using Foreign, Religious Law

creeping
It’s a sad state of affairs when the U.S. can’t ban Islamic sharia law by name. via Okla. Legislature Passes Bill Forbidding Courts From Using Foreign, Religious Law.

The upper house of the Oklahoma Legislature passed a bill that would prevent the use of religious or foreign laws in American courts.

House Bill 1060, considered by some to be an “anti-Sharia” bill, passed the Oklahoma Senate Monday in a vote of 40 yeas to 3 nays. Due to an amendment being added, it awaits the approval of the bill’s author before it can go to the governor.

“Any court, arbitration, tribunal, or administrative agency ruling or decision shall violate the public policy of this state and be void and unenforceable if the court, arbitration, tribunal, or administrative agency bases its rulings or decisions in the matter at issue in whole or in part on foreign law that would not grant the parties affected by the ruling or decision the same fundamental liberties, rights, and privileges granted under the U.S. and Oklahoma Constitutions,” reads HB 1552.

Republican State Representative Sally Kern, author of HB 1552, told The Christian Post that while considered by some to be an attack on Muslims, the bill is not discriminatory.

“The bill is not biased against any particular group of people. It only deals with protecting our Constitutional rights when any foreign law would be used in an American court to deny any American of their Constitutional rights,” said Kern.

This is not the first time that Oklahoma has considered an “anti-Sharia” law. In 2010, about 70 percent of Oklahoma voters approved State Question 755, a measure which said courts could not consider “international or Islamic law when deciding cases.” After the question succeeded, a federal judge blocked it from being implemented, declaring it unconstitutional.