(SOUTHFIELD, MI, 2/29/12) – A representative of the Michigan chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR-MI) yesterday participated in a discussion at Cooley Law School in Lansing, Michigan, about the relationship between sharia and religious law to the U.S. Constitution and the anti-sharia legislation, which has spread across America.
Hans von Spakovsky, Senior Legal Fellow at the Washington, D.C. based Heritage Foundation, and CAIR-MI Executive Director Dawud Walid discussed the limitations of adhering to all religious laws under the U.S. Constitution though differed on the actually definition and scope of application of sharia, a path towards faithfulness, in Islam.
Walid elaborated that the architect of anti-sharia legislation, which has spread across America is White Supremacist David Yerushalmi, who has worked in conjunction with other anti-Muslim bigots to marginalize American Muslims.
SEE: Meet the White Supremacist Leading the GOP’s Anti-Sharia Crusade (Mother Jones)
http://motherjones.com/politics/2011/02/david-yerushalmi-sharia-ban-tennessee
Walid also noted that CAIR was the chief plaintiff in successful litigation against an anti-sharia bill in Oklahoma in which the 10th Federal Circuit Court of Appeals ruled the bill as discriminatory.
SEE: Federal Court Blocks Oklahoma Ban on Sharia (CNN)
http://articles.cnn.com/2012-01-10/justice/justice_oklahoma-sharia_1_rex-duncan-oklahoma-amendment-sharia-law?_s=PM:JUSTICE
The discussion was co-sponsored by the Cooley Law School Federalist Society and the Cooley Muslim Law Society.
“We welcome such opportunities to discuss opposing viewpoints and to clarify American Muslims’ respect for the U.S. Constitution while affirming the right of all religious groups to be free from targeting by unconstitutional legislation inspired by bigotry,” said CAIR-MI Executive Director Dawud Walid.
CONTACT: CAIR-MI Executive Director Dawud Walid, 248-842-1418, E-Mail: dwalid@cair.com or CAIR-MI Outreach Coordinator Raheem Hanifa, 248-559-2247, E-Mail: rhanifa@cair.com