Halacha, Sharia and the Religious Acceptance of Constitutional Governance

by Rabbi Jon Hausman (October 2009)

Delivered at the Stop Islamization of America launch in the Rayburn House Office Building, 25 September 2009

. Homosexuality, adultery, freedom of speech issues when it comes to criticizing Islam or Muhammad or drawing satire cartoons such as the Jylland Posten satires by Kurt Westergaard are capital offenses under Islam (Does anyone remember the painting of the cross smear with feces, declared protected speech under the First Amendment? America’s Mayor Rudy Guilani had many issues with this piece of art. He expressed his displeasure verbally and did not show his patronage to the exhibit)…How does this impact our Bill of Rights as Islam is as it has always been, expansionary, supercessionist? Or, in the words of a number of its defenders in the US, Islam is not meant to be one amongst equals but to be the supreme law of the land?

The values of Islam couldn’t be more different than American values of freedom, liberty, and individual responsibility.  Also, the concept that all men (and women) are created equal under God and should be treated accordingly is a concept that doesn’t exist in Islam, beginning with its foundational and doctrinal texts.

Countries like Saudi Arabia, Iran, and Afghanistan under the Taliban, whose legal systems are based on Sharia openly torture and mutilate citizens, persecute homosexuals, sentence apostates to death and restrict all freedom of religion. The extent of Sharia’s influence in supposed moderate countries such as Egypt, Jordan, Lebanon, Bangladesh, and Pakistan is instructive.

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