NOW LIVE ONLINE: UC BERKELEY CONFERENCE ON ISLAMOPHOBIA - TOP

You can watch the conference live here: http://crg.berkeley.edu/islamophobia

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ANTI-SHARIAH BILL INTRODUCED IN NORTH CAROLINA - TOP
Laura Leslie, WRAL, 4/21/11

The state House Judiciary Committee sent a bill to the House floor today, even though no one - not even the sponsor - could come up with any evidence that it's needed.

House Bill 640, sponsored by Rep. George Cleveland, R-Onslow, would, according to the bill analysis, "prohibit the application or enforcement of a foreign law in a legal proceeding if doing so would violate a right granted by the North Carolina or United States constitutions." It would also nullify provisions in contracts or agreements "calling for the application of foreign law or choosing a foreign venue...if it violated a constitutional right of a party."

Cleveland said the measure would protect North Carolinians from someone "going to a foreign law book."

Democrats on the committee pointed out that the federal and state constitutions already supersede other laws, and that international law principles are well-established in courts and law schools.

Rep. Jennifer Weiss, D-Wake, warned that the bill could cause serious problems for treaties and business contracts in NC. She asked for comment from the Department of Commerce and international business experts. Neither was there to testify. (More)

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DEARBORN NOT RULED BY ISLAMIC LAW, MAYOR SAYS - TOP
Niraj Warikoo, Detroit Free Press, 4/21/11

From Newt Gingrich to Mike Huckabee to state legislators, a growing number of officials across the country are proclaiming that Dearborn and metro Detroit are under Shari'a law because of the sizable Muslim population. Urged on by an active network of conservative blogs and groups, they are filing lawsuits and legislation against what they perceive as a threat to the U.S.

It's all based on a lie, local officials say -- but one that continues to stick in some minds because of the growing power of social media. During the past few months, the drumbeat against Dearborn has grown louder as politicians and elected officials increasingly cite the city as an example of how radical Islam has infiltrated the U.S.

Several states are considering -- or have passed -- bills banning the use of Islamic law. Last year, Louisiana lawmakers passed an anti-Shari'a bill. In recent months, Texas legislators have cited Dearborn in considering a similar bill. Tennessee also is considering an anti-Shari'a bill. And this week, the Missouri House approved a bill that would ban Shari'a.

Last year, Oklahoma voters approved a ballot measure that would have banned Shari'a law, but a judge later ruled it unconstitutional. (More)

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WHAT POLITICIANS ARE SAYING ABOUT SHARIA AND DEARBORN - TOP
Niraj Warikoo, Detroit Free Press, 4/21/11

A growing number of politicians, elected officials and Christians claim that Dearborn or Michigan is being influenced or run by Islamic law, called Shari'a.

Here's what some of them are saying:

Newt Gingrich, former House speaker and potential Republican presidential candidate

On the arrest of Christian missionaries at an Arab-American festival in Dearborn, he wrote:

"This is a clear case of freedom of speech and the exercise of religious freedom being sacrificed in deference to Shari'a's intolerance against the preaching of religions other than Islam. ... Cases like this will become all the more common as radical Islamists grow more and more aggressive in the United States."

Mike Huckabee, ex-Arkansas governor and potential Republican presidential candidate

In an interview with Christianity Today in February, Huckabee said: (More)

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SENATORS DEBATE BILL THAT WOULD LIMIT SHARIA LAW - TOP
Noelle Phillips, The Herald, 4/21/11

A group of senators spent more than an hour Wednesday discussing the pros and cons of a bill that would prevent the enforcement of foreign law in South Carolina, including sharia, or Islamic law.

But most of their time was spent debating a hypothetical marriage between an American woman and a Pakistani man and how American courts would rule should that couple divorce.

None of the senators nor Kevin A. Hall, a Columbia attorney who testified in support of the bill, were aware of any examples in South Carolina where courts upheld sharia law over the U.S. Constitution. (More)

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VIDEO: ISLAMOPHOBIA AND RACISM IN SOUTH CAROLINA - TOP

What you are about to see is footage of real interviews with SC Republican voters at a rally in Columbia, hosted by SC Republican Governor Nikki Haley and Republican Presidential candidate Michele Bachmann on April 18, 2011.

Watch the video.

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MISSOURI HOUSE VOTES TO BAN SHARIA LAW - TOP
Jason Hancock, St. Louis Post-Dispatch, 4/21/11

A bill prohibiting state courts from using or recognizing Sharia law passed the Missouri House Wednesday on a 102-51 vote.

The legislation, which was sponsored by state Rep. Paul Curtman, R-Pacific, bans Missouri courts from utilizing foreign law or legal code in any ruling. Although it never specifically mentions the words "Sharia" or "Islam," Wednesday's debate focused almost exclusively on Sharia law, which is the religious law of Islam.

"This bill is not all about Sharia Law," Curtman said. "It's Sharia Law, French law, Dutch law or anything else."

Since the beginning of 2009, numerous states have considered proposals to ban Sharia. During last year's elections, Oklahoma voters passed a referendum banning state courts from considering international or Islamic law. However, it was later blocked by a federal judge who said that the law was unconstitutional.

Legislation similar to Curtman's was introduced in the Missouri Senate by Republican Brian Nieves but has yet to gain traction. The House bill picked up momentum earlier this session when House Speaker Steve Tilley threw his support behind it, saying "the laws of this country should trump any other laws regarding the citizens of our country within our borders."

Speaking in opposition to the measure, State Rep. Jamilah Nasheed, D-St. Louis, said she'd like to help educate Curtman on Sharia law.

"I truly believe you think you're doing the right thing," she said while talking to Curtman on the House floor, later adding: "I don't think that you have ill intentions, so I would encourage you to become familiar with Sharia Law. I'd really like to sit down with you and we can study together and come to a better understanding of what Sharia Law is, how it works and what it does." (More)

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MO. LEGISLATOR STILL CAN'T EXPLAIN WHY HE WANTS TO BAN SHARIA - TOP
Tim Murphy, Mother Jones, 4/21/11

About a month ago, we told you about a bill before Missouri's legislature to ban Islamic Sharia law from being enforced in state courts. The proposal, introduced by Republican state Rep. Paul Curtman, drew its language from the sample legislation drafted by David Yerushalmi, an Arizona-based attorney who has previously called for Muslims to be deported. Since the beginning of 2009, two dozen states have considered proposals to ban Sharia, many of which have borrowed Yerushalmi's language.

Yesterday, the Missouri bill passed out of committee in the House, after a heated debate. Per KMOX:

"This bill will go to court and you are wasting your ink on this paper. Because this will not be upheld in court," [Democratic Rep. Jamilah] Nasheed said Tuesday. "You're wasting your time gentleman. You're wasting your time in this body."

Nasheed called on Curtman to provide a list of cases in which international law had been used in American courts but Curtman was unable to provide an example of such a case.

Why should that sound familiar? Because this exact same scenario unfolded in March, when Curtman held a press conference unveil the bill. Here was his response then when a reporter asked for examples: (More)

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LETTER: TENN. ANTI-SHARIA BILL HAS AN OMINOUS RING - TOP
Sam Suboh, Memphis Commercial Appeal, 4/21/11

Tuesday's activity in the Tennessee General Assembly regarding House Bill 1353, legislation that outlaws providing material support or resources to groups designated as sharia organizations by the attorney general, reminded me of the 1960s when I first came to the United States as a college student in a nearby Southern state.

I vividly remember the "Whites Only" signs posted all around town, for which I needed help understanding. I also find myself reflecting on that era because that was when the Civil Rights Act became law of the land, marking the beginning of the end of openly racist expressions and other overt manifestations of racism.

What I see inherent in House Bill 1353 are racist inclinations. Over the years living mostly in the South, I have seen racism that is more powerful than common sense, than moral decency, than a sense of fair play. Now it seems it is also more powerful than a sense of responsibility that is mandated upon all elected lawmakers, from whom all citizens have a right to expect common sense, moral decency, fair play and, yes, responsibility. (More)

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MEET THE WHITE SUPREMACIST LEADING THE GOP'S ANTI-SHARIA CRUSADE - TOP
Mother Jones

DAVID YERUSHALMI: A DRIVING FORCE BEHIND ANTI-SHARIA EFFORTS IN THE U.S.- TOP
ADL

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CAIR-WA: DEBUNKING THE MYTH OF THE VIOLENT MUSLIM - TOP
Sean Hughes, Real Change News, 4/13/11

"Muhammad was a pervert! Muhammad was a pervert!" the protesters cry as bewildered Muslim Americans walk stoically past into a Southern California fundraiser for women's shelters held by a Muslim aid group.

A video of this protest can be seen on YouTube. When set against the background of Rep. Peter King's (R-NY) congressional hearings investigating Muslim radicalization, the video serves to highlight the fear of Islam among some non-Muslims, which has come to be known as "Islamophobia."

Working to combat Islamophobia, protect the civil rights of Muslims and increase understanding of Islam is the Council on American-Islamic Relations, a national Muslim advocacy organization with affiliates around the country. The Washington state affiliate was incorporated in 2003. The staff organizes frequent events to educate non-Muslims about Muslim Americans and responds to anti-Muslim attacks and harassment.

I recently met with CAIR Washington's Executive Director Arsalan Bukhari, Community Outreach Coordinator Abigail Stahl, and Civil Rights Coordinator Jennifer Gist to discuss Islamophobia and the Northwest's Muslim-American community. (More)

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BECAUSE HANNITY ASKED: EXAMPLES OF FOX SCAPEGOATING MUSLIMS - TOP
Jeremy Holden, Media Matters, 4/20/11

Wednesday night, Sean Hannity feigned ignorance regarding Fox News' extensive history of anti-Muslim rhetoric.

During an interview with Rep. Keith Ellison (D-MN), Hannity took issue with comments Ellison made critical of Fox News:

You actually called out Fox News. You said in a BBC interview, you said that, I think if you listen to Fox News, the station 24-7 is trying to incite and divide Americans along religious lines, scapegoating the Muslim community, and this is a sort of well-worn, right-wing tactic. Can you give me a specific example?

I'll give him 10 quick ones. (More)