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| Kansas Gov. Sam Brownback has not indicated whether he will sign the new legislation. (photo: Getty Images) |
13 May 12
ansas
lawmakers have passed legislation intended to prevent the state courts
or agencies from using Islamic or other non-U.S. laws in making
decisions, a measure critics have blasted as an embarrassment to the
state.
The legislation, which passed 33-3 in the state Senate
on Friday and 120-0 previously in the House, is widely known in Kansas
as the "Sharia bill," because the perceived goal of supporters is to
keep Islamic code from being recognized in Kansas.
The bill was sent to Republican Governor Sam Brownback, who has not indicated whether he will sign it.
In interviews on Saturday, a supporter of the bill
said it reassured foreigners in Kansas that state laws and the U.S.
Constitution will protect them. But an opponent said the bill's real
purpose is to hold Islam out for ridicule.
Kansas Representative Peggy Mast, a lead sponsor of
the bill for the past two years, said the goal was to make sure there
was no confusion that American laws prevailed on American soil.
Mast said research showed more than 50 cases around
the United States where courts or government agencies took laws from
Sharia or other legal systems into account in decision-making.
Commonly, they involved divorce, child custody,
property division or other cases where the woman was treated unfairly,
Mast said. READ MORE
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