Washington: The central US state of Oklahoma has approved a ballot measure restricting judges from considering Islamic ‘Sharia law’ while making a judgement.
According to Politico, this is the result of nearly 70 percent of voters polling in favour of the move on Tuesday night.
The measure was proposed by Republican State Representative Rex Duncan, who said that the proposition was a "pre-emptive strike" against judges, who he worries could be “legislating from the bench or using international law or Sharia law”.
However, opponents of the measure pointed out that the First Amendment bars Congress from making any law respecting the establishment of religion. Muslim leaders also criticised the proposition and warned that they would challenge it in court.
Former House Speaker Newt Gingrich is one of the top voices spreading concern that Islamic law may creep into American courts, the report said.
Gingrich attracted national headlines in September at the Values Voter Summit in Washington when he declared, “I am opposed to any efforts to impose Sharia in the United States”.
“We should have a federal law that says under no circumstances in any jurisdiction in the United States will Sharia law be used in any court to apply to any judgment made about American law,” he added.
ANI
First Published: Thursday, November 04, 2010, 16:37