Shariah in the West

June 23, 2010

Continued from Page 4

Relations between religious communities and government authorities in the United States are based on a principle known as "reasonable accommodation." Under reasonable accommodation, for example, employers are required to allow their workers to observe religious holidays if they do not conflict with business needs.

"Parallel Shariah" exemplifies a demand for unreasonable accommodation of Islam in non-Muslim countries. Muslims living in the West should be reminded, whether by their authentically moderate leaders (who have played such a role in France), or by media -- or, if necessary, by Western governments -- that their own religion calls on them to accept Western law, to make no attempts to subvert it, and to limit Shariah to purely religious matters. All other "Islamic" notions about Shariah in the West are tropes intended to radicalize Western Muslims. "Parallel Shariah" and "Islamic mediation" may not threaten the immediate freedoms of non-Muslims, but they are liable to endanger the liberties of Muslims themselves. Ultimately, any scheme to divide or dilute the universal protections of Western law will undermine the liberty of all.

This article was originally published in New Threats To Freedom, ed. by Adam Bellow (Templeton Press, at newthreatstofreedom.com,) reprinted with permission of Center for Islamic Pluralism at www.islamicpluralism.org.

Page: 5 of 5

6/23/2010 4:00:00 AM

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