American Muslim organization applauds Oklahoma anti-shariah law

November 5, 2010
AIFD
American Islamic Forum for Democracy

SQ755 protects the sanctity of the U.S. Constitution's Establishment Clause and the rule of One Law

PHOENIX (November 5, 2010) - Dr. M. Zuhdi Jasser, a devout Muslim and the president and founder of the American Islamic Forum for Democracy (AIFD) issued the following statement regarding the passage of Oklahoma's State Question 755.

"As Muslims dedicated to modernity, reform and our one law system in the west and in the United States, AIFD applauds the people of Oklahoma for passing State Question 755 and making "the legal precepts of other nations or cultures" off-limits to Oklahoma courts and specifically denying the use of Sharia Law.

The issue is simple. As Americans we believe in the Constitution, the Establishment Clause, and our one law system. SQ755 reaffirms the First amendment to the Constitution and prevents the Establishment or empowerment of a foreign legal system like the specific shariah legal systems implemented in many Muslim majority nations and in western shariah courts seen in places like Britain.

By filing a lawsuit, the Council on American Islamic Relations (CAIR) has wasted no time in proving once again that they are unable to stand behind public declarations that the U.S. Constitution and the Bill of Rights and our one law system supersede and are preferable to a sharia law system. They are using the American cover of religious freedom to try and knock down a simple law that prohibits the domination of one religion over others.

SQ755 is not about religious freedom or minority rights. It is about the inviolable sanctity of the U.S. constitution and our country's foundational belief in a legal system based in one law that is based in reason and individual rights guaranteed by the Constitution and the Bill of Rights. The law has no impact on the personal practice of Islam or the personal interpretation of "shariah" (God's law to a Muslim), but rather SQ755 focuses on shariah as a total legal system that the people of Oklahoma wanted to make clear shall not be used or respected systemically in deciding law in Oklahoma. CAIR's assertion that it is akin to France's ban of the hijab or personal head covering for women is absurd. There is no evidence that this law prevents any of the personal manifestation of the practice of Islam or the use of personal religious principles in arguing law based in reason in state or federal court. Shariah as a legal system can just not be used as prima facie evidence in court.

SQ755 also thus prevents the establishment of separate shariah or Islamic courts in Oklahoma. As we have seen in Britain, Islamists have transformed the British arbitration system to the point that they are operating upwards of 85 shariah courts now. These courts are mostly operated out of mosques in Britain. While they claim that the courts are voluntary, as Canadians voiced loudly in their rejection of shariah courts, these groups exploit tribal pressures and coercion within Muslim communities in order to circumvent the one law and one legal system of Britain and western nations. It is naïve and ignorant to believe that such courts are purely "voluntary". Just ask many of the women who get pressured through them and pressured to stay "out of western un-Islamic courts."

CAIR's lawsuit proves that they are part of an Islamist establishment in America that do not and will not believe in the separation of mosque and state and that they promote the ideology of political Islam. This ideology is based in a belief in the supremacy of Islamic legal systems and is often a conveyer belt toward radicalization. CAIR shows once again that they are part of the problem not the solution.

To those who say "Why Oklahoma?", we say "Why not Oklahoma?" The Oklahoma precedent and example is important. It has already showed CAIR's hand and where they place shariah law in relation to the Constitution. CAIR flippantly states that the law is not necessary. By implying that Islam and shariah are inseparable they demonstrate a willful denial of the internationally pervasive draconian shariah law systems around the world in places like Iran, Sudan, Saudi Arabia to name a few, and how academically clear the legal system of shariah law is. Note should be made of how CAIR's response to SQ755 does not address any of the harms instituted against Muslims and non-Muslims around the world in the name of shariah law.

AIFD and most reformist Muslims believe a ban on shariah courts is necessary to protect the rights of the individual and in particular the rights of women."

About the American Islamic Forum for Democracy

The American Islamic Forum for Democracy (AIFD) is a nonprofit 501(c)(3) charitable organization. AIFD's mission advocates for the preservation of the founding principles of the United States Constitution, liberty and freedom, through the separation of mosque and state. For more information on AIFD, please visit our website at http://www.aifdemocracy.org/

CAIR-OK: Anti Israel Protest at the Oklahoma State Capitol

Since Muneer Awad, the Executive Director of the Council on American-Islamic Relations Oklahoma, does not having a REAL case.

He has to run around to the media saying He a Victim and playing the "We have gotten Hate phone calls, hate e-mails, ect" Card, in true CAIR fashion! 

Maybe the Press and the Voter of Oklahoma, should remember just how Hateful CAIR-OK can be...

This is video, I took on Jan. 5, 2009 on the 

South Steps of the Oklahoma State Capitol

Former Oklahoman National CAIR Board Member Deported

Hat Tip to Brandi @ztruth

UPDATE

What the head of CAIR-OK Razi Hashmi
is AWOL on this...

CAIR officials won't talk about recent but former board member Nabil Sadoun tied to Hamas and the Muslim Brotherood.

Oklahomans own a debt of thanks to Cindy Crenshaw and former Iraq JAG officer and OK-5 candidate Kevin Calvey.

Jon Jordan with KWTV in Oklahoma City did a great job of reporting, folks!



A Muslim organization with a chapter in Oklahoma again has to refute claims of ties to terrorism. It comes after the organization, Council on American Islamic Relations, better known as CAIR, had a former board member deported back to his native country.

The judge in the case made it very clear he had evidence from the government that Suh-doon had ties to Hamas that he failed to make public.

For CAIR it's been one negative story after another. In 2007 the Islamic organization was named an un-indicted coconspirator in a case that found the then largest Islamic charity in the U.S. had been funding terrorist groups.

In 2009 Ghassan Elashi, of the charities leaders and the founder of CAIR's Texas chapter, was sentenced to 65 years in jail after being convicted for funneling money to the terrorist group Hamas. Now, in 2010, Nuh-bill Suh-doon, a former board member for CAIR, has been deported and accused by the government of being also having ties to Hamas.

"This group has a bunch of leaders with proven ties to terrorism and particularly terrorist fundraising," Kevin Calvey, 5th district congressional candidate, said.

Calvey has teamed up with the newly formed group Oklahoman's Against Care Hate in an effort to condemn CAIR.

"The proof is some of their members are in jail and now this latest former leader is sent to Jordan, that says they are involved in terrorism," Cindy Crenshaw with Oklahoman's Against Care Hate said.

Neither local nor national CAIR leaders wanted to respond to the latest allegations of terrorist ties but the organizations national communications director did.

"They [Oklahoman's Against Care Hate] are free to be bigots if they want but I have better things to do then to engage them and enable their bigotry."

Which is something Calvey says is just another attempt by CAIR to dodge the terrorist ties.

"The record is out there, it's just a matter of people becoming aware of this group," Calvey said.

Because of the case where CAIR was named an un-indicted co-conspirator as well as the organizations failure to answer questions about a connection between their board members and Hamas, the FBI has suspended a formal partnership with CAIR.

Some pictures from today CAIR-OK 'Peace' Vigil

This picture look like CAIR-OK is looking for Peace

Should have some video up sometime tonight.

GOVERNOR’S ETHNIC AMERICAN ADVISORY COUNCIL Nov meeting

November 21, 2008
Friday – 3:00 P.M.

Office of Personnel Management
Jim Thorpe Building – Conference Room G-91

A G E N D A

A. Call to Order.

B. Introduction of Council Members, Staff, and Guests.

C. Review of Minutes from the September 5, 2008, Meeting. [Possible Vote]

D. Presentation: [Possible Vote]
School of International and Area Studies, Center for Middle East Studies
Dr. Robert Cox, Director, School of International and Area Studies
Dr. Suzette Grillot, Associate Director, International Programs Center
Dr. Joshua Landis, Co-Director, Center for Middle East Studies

E. Establish Dates for 2009 Council Meetings. [Possible Vote]

F. Unfinished Business. [Possible Vote]

G. New Business.
[Any matter not known about or which could not have been reasonably foreseen prior to the time of posting.]

H. Announcements.

I. Comments from Visitors.

J. Adjournment.

Democrat Partisans Behind Quran Attack Ad?

Hat Tip to Mike @ http://wwwtmrcom.blogspot.com/2007/11/democrat-partisans-behind-quran-attack.html


The signers of a half-page ad attacking state lawmakers for declining copies of the Quran are largely partisan Democrats, State Rep. Mike Reynolds, R-Oklahoma City, said today.

"Virtually every person involved in this attack ad is a Democrat or Democratic campaign contributor," said Reynolds, who monitors political dollars with an intensity few can match.

Headed "A Letter to Oklahomans," the advertisement is signed by more than 100 individuals, including
Attorney General Drew Edmondson and his wife Linda,
and
Secretary of State Susan Savage, a former Tulsa mayor.

Others signing the letter include
former Treasurer Robert Butkin, now a University of Tulsa law professor;
Energy Secretary David Fleischaker;
former Senate President Pro Tem Cal Hobson;
Pulitzer Prize-winning author N. Scott Momaday;
Norman Mayor Cindy Rosenthal;
Secretary of Environment Miles Tolbert;
former Attorney General Mike Turpen; and
former Tulsa lawmaker Penny Williams.

A spokesman said those signing the letter belong to no formal organization, although many of them met through the Oklahoma Symposium, a three-day event held every year at Quartz Mountain State Park.

"It's clear this group is simply throwing up a smokescreen to divert attention from Governor Brad Henry's sponsorship of Muslim activists in state government."

The Governor's Ethnic American Advisory Council, which consists of Muslim activists, recently received national attention for its efforts to provide "Centennial edition" copies of the Quran (the holy book of Islam) to Oklahoma state lawmakers. Several legislators did not accept copies of the book.

The council's official efforts have included "outreach" programs targeting Oklahoma school children and efforts to introduce Muslim content into school textbooks endorsed by state regulators, Reynolds said.

On Sunday, a half-page ad signed by 147 individuals ran in the state's two largest newspapers attacking lawmakers who did not cave in to the demands of council members, Reynolds said. Of the 147 signers, 123 are registered Democrats, seven are registered independents and seven are Republicans according to voter registration records, Reynolds said.

He said 10 individuals could not be found in state voter registration records. Records show that four of the 14 signers registered as Republicans or independents have contributed money exclusively to Democratic candidates, Reynolds said. Over half of those 14 individuals also share an address with one of the registered Democrat signatories.

"This ad is nothing more than a partisan attack funded by Democrats to benefit Governor Henry. If they don't have the backbone to criticize the militant strain of Islam that resulted in the murder of thousands of our fellow citizens on American soil, that's their right, but I think it's sad that they have allowed political considerations to cloud their judgment," Reynolds said.

He noted that campaign records indicate Ethnic American Advisory Council member Mohammad Farzaneh and members of his family have donated more than $100,000 to Oklahoma candidates, including Henry.

Reynolds renewed his call for Henry to disband or at least reform the council so its membership will include a "truly diverse group of people of Middle Eastern heritage who represent all faiths in that region, not just one."