Rights groups decry ‘anti-Muslim’ bill in US

Most recently, the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR), a Washington, DC-based Muslim civil rights group, has called on Idaho’s Senate to vote against a bill recently passed by the state’s House of Representatives, that seeks to ban the implementation of “foreign law” in the state. According to CAIR, the bill, known as HB-419, targets Muslims […]

Most recently, the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR), a Washington, DC-based Muslim civil rights group, has called on Idaho’s Senate to vote against a bill recently passed by the state’s House of Representatives, that seeks to ban the implementation of “foreign law” in the state.

According to CAIR, the bill, known as HB-419, targets Muslims and fits into a long pattern of “unconstitutional” bills that demonise Muslims by barring Sharia, or Islamic law.

HB-419 was passed by Idaho’s House of Representatives at a time when similar bills are being considered in several US states, including Montana, Oregon and Wisconsin. 

In an open letter to Idaho State Senator Jeff C Siddoway, Chairman of the Senate State Affairs Committee, CAIR’s Government Affairs Director, Robert McCaw, described HB-419 as “contrary to our nation’s values of not elevating or marginalising one faith or community”.

“Legislation designed and adopted to attack a specific religion is a clear violation of the [US Constitution’s] Establishment Clause, which requires that government be secular and treat all religions equally,” McCaw wrote. That bill was introduced by House Representative Eric Redman, who had introduced two similar bills in the last two years. 

According to the Southern Poverty Law Center (SPLC), an Alabama-based hate watchdog, at least 201 “anti-Sharia bills” have been introduced in 43 states since 2010.  (Aljazeera)