Written by Don Byrd
Last Monday, Kansas Governor Sam Brownback signed into law a measure that prohibits the state’s courts from considering codes like Islam’s Sharia law in making decisions. But he waited until Friday to make that information public. The signing comes despite the efforts of many civil liberty groups in urging a veto. AP has more:
The new law, taking effect July 1, doesn’t specifically mention Shariah law, which broadly refers to codes within the Islamic legal system. Instead, it says courts, administrative agencies or state tribunals can’t base rulings on any foreign law or legal system that would not grant the parties the same rights guaranteed by state and U.S. constitutions.
Muslim groups had urged Brownback to veto the measure, arguing that it promotes discrimination. Ibrahim Hooper, a spokesman for the Washington-based Council on American-Islamic Relations, said a court challenge is likely because supporters of the measure frequently expressed concern about Shariah law. Hooper said of Brownback, “If he claims it has nothing to do with Shariah or Islamic law or Muslims, then he wasn’t paying attention.”
