IslamicLawBlog

Congressman Peter King, Chairman of the House for Homeland Security Committee is "launching a new crusade against Muslims in the United States," with his so-called hearing on Radicalization of American Muslims, says Liaquat Ali Khan, Author and Professor of Law in Washburn University School. "[King] is arguing that there is a threat from the entire Muslim community and that mosques have become centers of radical Islam," Khan said in an interview with Press TV's U.S. Desk on Friday. "And I think this idea that all Muslims are a threat to national security is a very frightening idea," he added. Khan said that Muslims in the United States come from a varied socio-economic and cultural background. "Mr. King should understand that when we talk about American Muslims, we are talking about all kinds of Muslims… [including those who] work for the U.S. army." "So this broad sweep is very, very, disturbing. It doesn't respect Musli...

Peter King's Witch Hunt By LIAQUAT ALI KHAN Despite calls to call off the proposed Congressional hearings on the inflammatory topic of “the radicalization of American Muslims,” Representative Peter King, a Roman Catholic, the Republican Chairman of the House Committee on Homeland Security--who was a strong supporter of the Irish Republican Army--is determined to investigate the so-called homegrown Islamic terrorism. Numerous faith groups, including the Catholics, oppose King’s Hearings as a crude attack on the religious dignity of Islam. Jewish leaders and rabbis have been most vocal in condemning the undignified implication that “there is an inherent link between Islam per se and terrorism (which) is not helpful to religious tolerance in America.” Other faith groups warn that “singling out a group of Americans for government scrutiny based on their faith is divisive and wrong.” King remains un-persuaded, however, reaffirming regrettable popular opinions that Islam poses a threa...

JURIST Contributing Editor L. Ali Khan, Professor of Law at Washburn University says the people's revolutions of Tunisia, Yemen, and Egypt are in response to sham democracies and their peoples' desire to enforce their rights and liberties, but the US's role remains unclear... The peoples' revolution is brewing in Tunisia, Yemen, and Egypt. These nations, unlike the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, have established state constitutions that promise a democratic form of government and espouse the principle of popular sovereignty. Article 3 of the Tunisia Constitution declares that "The sovereignty belongs to the Tunisian People who exercise it in conformity with the Constitution."Article 4 of the Yemen Constitution declares that "Power rests with the people who are the source of all powers." Article 3 of the Egypt Constitution proclaims that "Sovereignty is for the people alone who are the source of authority." Invoking these constitutional prov...

By Liaquat Ali Khan & Jasmine Abou-Kassem AASIA Bibi, a 45-year old Christian woman, has been sentenced to death, under Section 295-C of the Pakistan Penal Code, for allegedly `defiling` the Prophet (PBUH). Though Aasia is the first woman to be convicted for blasphemy, Christians, Hindus and hundreds of Muslims have been charged under the statute. Section 295 is a convenient legal tool to settle petty personal scores, intimidate rival families and practise ill-informed versions of Islam, particularly in small towns and villages. Local judges come under pressure to convict persons charged under the statute with the strident approval of local elders. Over the years, attempts to repeal the statute have provoked stiff opposition from Muslim jurists and invited threats of violence from militant groups. Even Pervez Musharraf, a secular military dictator, could not, for fear of imminent and severe reprisals, repeal the statute. For the same reasons, major political parties are disincl...

Spectacular Haj Photos

Tuesday, 09 November 2010 19:30 By Liaquat Ali Khan Share Link: by L. Ali Khan and Jasmine Abou-Kassem On November 2, 2010, an overwhelming majority of Oklahoma citizens (slightly more than 70%) approved State Question (SQ) 755, as a state constitutional amendment, forbidding Oklahoma courts from “considering or using” international law or Shariah law. Oklahoma State Representative Rex Duncan, the amendment’s principal author, characterized the Shariah as a “cancer that must be removed with a preemptive strike.” A petition has already been filed with the United States District Court to seek a temporary restraining order against the enforcement of SQ 755. It remains to be seen whether the federal courts will strike down the amendment under the supremacy clause of the United States Constitution. This commentary highlights the practical implications and legal effects of SQ 755 to conclude that the Oklahoma courts would be unable to surgically remove the Shariah from the myria...

By Simon Moya-Smith Story Published: Aug 31, 2010 So the controversy – for the moment – is over the mosque slated to be built near the site of the World Trade Center bombings in New York City. Don’t you worry, we’ll get back to that ugly immigration debate momentarily. I feel compelled to share some not-widely-known wisdom with my mosque-naysayers, for if there’s one thing citizens in this country get instantly aroused by it’s some good old American Indian wisdom. So here you go, folks. Since time immemorial, the Black Hills in South Dakota have been a holy place for the Lakota Sioux – my people. And to the Lakota, the Black Hills is where life began. Although the story of creation significantly differs between Sioux and Christians – our messenger from the Creator came in the form of a woman – Paha Sapa is not unlike Christianity’s Eden in its significance. But here is where today’s debate over the mosque and my peoples’ sacred site come together: It didn’t matter to the Christians, th...