Is Sharia Law A Threat To The U.S.?

Is Sharia Law a threat to the U.S. and other nations? If so, what is the greatest threat?

Sharia Law

Sharia Law or Islamic sharia is the religious and legal system governing the members of the Islamic faith which is derived from the religious precepts of Islam, particularly the Quran and the Hadith. The term sharia comes from the Arabic language term sharīʿah, which means “a body of moral and religious law” derived from religious prophecy, as opposed to human legislation or human law. It is not a separation of church from the state to protect the nation from having a national religion, nor is it a government that seeks to keep church affairs out of the government’s business. Sharia Law joins both the legal system and the religious system, with the chief purpose of the legal system being to enforce Sharia Law. State and religion are the same, and some crimes are punishable by death, and not just for murder, but a number of infractions that could occur from breaking Islamic sharia. States have begun to prepare for this as former Kansas Governor Sam Brownback signed legislation prohibiting judges in the state from considering foreign law in their rulings. The law stated that “any foreign law, legal code or system that would not grant the parties affected by the…decision the same fundamental liberties, rights and privileges granted under the United States and Kansas constitutions,” would be considered void. Oklahoma, who also saw the danger of conflicts between Sharia Law and the U.S. Constitution, passed a similar law where local, state, and federal laws always supersede any “international law.”

Islamic Threat

Just a few years ago, Newt Gingrich said in a speech to the American Enterprise Institute in Washington (July 2010) that “Shariah [Law] is a mortal threat to the survival of freedom in the United States and in the world as we know it.” Was he right? Is Sharia Law a threat to the citizens of this or any other nation? There is disturbing evidence that says, “Yes!” He and others argue that it’s similar to communism; it promises freedom and equality, but it provides neither. When the Muslim population comes to be a majority of a nation’s population, then the real danger exists of having local Sharia laws enforced over and against the laws of the nation in which they’re living. In 2010, there were 4.8 million Muslims in Germany (5.8% of the country’s population) and 4.7 million Muslims in France (7.5%), but surprisingly, Russia’s population of 14 million Muslims (10%) is the largest on the continent, and these are all growing faster than any other segment of the population. It’s a ticking time bomb. Today in France, it’s closer to one in ten in French being Muslim.

Under Sharia Law, the government and religion are the same.

Radical Islam

Radical Islam is not exactly the same as the Islamic faith, although some would argue that you cannot separate Sharia Law from being a Muslim, but not all Muslims are radical Islamists. In fact, they are in the minority, but even a minority of 15 million Muslims still leaves over a hundred thousand or more that are radical extremists, so even if only one or two percent of the Muslim population are terrorists, that is still a considerable number of potential terrorist acts that could occur in a given population. Radical Islam is dedicated to destroying freedom, democracy, and a nation’s way of life, but again, most Muslims are not radical and live peaceful, law abiding lives. Certainly, Sharia Law is contrary to the U.S. Constitution which give rights to all citizens that the government can’t take away, but under Sharia Law, the government and religion are the same. As the numbers of Muslim’s grow in a nation, the greater the risk of seeing localized Sharia Law, but at what point that happens, we don’t know. We do know from history that other nations have succumbed to its iron grip, controlling religion, state, and local laws. And these laws are predominantly male-oriented, giving males domination in society, and sweeping freedoms in the home. Sharia Law has no blindfolded Lady Justice holding the scales to as close to even as she can. Under Sharia Law, the state is judge, jury, and executioner!

Conclusion

There isn’t any immediate danger of Sharia Law being instituted in the United States, although there have been reports of localized Sharia Law enforcement, but mostly where there is a majority of Muslims, but what of the day when these laws are attempted to be justified before the Supreme Court as part of their religious freedom? Our children and grandchildren will know the answer to that, but for now, we must remember that just because there are Islamic terrorists doesn’t mean all Muslims are terrorists. These are in a very small minority in the Islamic community, and we have no excuse for trying to judge or condemn or stereotype all Muslims as terrorists. That would be like saying that all American’s are like Timothy McVeigh who blew up the Federal Building in Oklahoma City in 1995, killing 168 people. It would be unfair to label Americans as being like McVeigh, so neither can we judge those who are only born into the Islamic faith? The real danger is fear. We cannot see Muslims as our enemy. Even if they were, we are told to do good to those who do bad to us, to pray for those who hate us, and to bless those who curse us (Luke 6:27-28). You can’t lead a Muslim to faith in Christ. God alone saves, but He may use you as a means to save one. God desires that none should perish apart from Christ (2 Pet 3:9), including Muslims. He desires that they repent and come to Christ and be saved. And that is my prayer for you, Muslim or not.

Here is some related reading for you: Key Differences Between the Christian and Muslim Heaven

Resource – Scripture quotations are from The Holy Bible, English Standard Version^® (ESV^®), Crossway Bibles. (2007). ESV: Study Bible : English standard version. Wheaton, Ill: Crossway Bibles. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

Tagged as: Islam, Muslim, Sharia Law