Judge Blocks Oklahoma's Shariah Law Ban, for Now

(Nov. 8) -- Will Shariah law in Oklahoma resume on Tuesday?

A federal judge temporarily blocked the implementation of state ballot measure 755, a controversial new law that officially bans state courts from considering Shariah law when rendering decisions. Judge Vicki Miles-LaGrange ruled that the voter initiative that singles out Islamic law should not be certified into law until another hearing takes place on Nov. 22.

Calling the measure a violation of the establishment clause of the First Amendment of the U.S. Constitution, the Council on American-Islamic Relations filed a lawsuit last week to block implementation of the law, which passed with just over 70 percent of the vote on Tuesday.

Sponsored Links

"Today's ruling is a reminder of the strength of our nation's legal system and the protections it grants to religious minorities," Muneer Awad, the executive director of CAIR's Oklahoma chapter, said in a press release. "We are humbled by this opportunity to show our fellow Oklahomans that Muslims are their neighbors and that we are committed to upholding the U.S. Constitution and promoting the benefits of a pluralistic society."

Both supporters and foes of the law say it is largely symbolic as there is no documented case in which an Oklahoma court has ever applied Shariah law considerations to render judgments in the state. In that way, it shares some similarity with the so-called "ground zero mosque."

Follow Surge Desk on Twitter.