Credit: Brad Gregg Um, at least that’s the takeaway of state Sen. Anthony Sykes, R-Moore, a key supporter of an Oklahoma constitutional amendment to ban the use of Sharia law in state courts. On Aug. 15, a federal judge issued a permanent injunction against the amendment, which voters overwhelmingly approved in a 2010 statewide vote […]
islam
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Fanning fears?
Credit: Mark Hancock His remarks came after Fallin signed House Bill 1060, which prohibits foreign laws from being enforced in Oklahoma courtrooms. Authored by Rep. Sally Kern, R-Oklahoma City, the legislation evolved after a federal appeals court ruled that a similar measure, State Question 755, was unconstitutional because it singled out Sharia law. Considered the […]
Posted inArts & Culture
Examining Islam
Can a case for democracy be made from a religious Muslim perspective? The question is particularly timely given the recent attacks on the Libyan embassy. Mustafa Akyol, a Turkish journalist and columnist, will address the question in a lecture Monday at Oklahoma City University. Akyol, the author of Islam Without Extremes: A Muslim Case for […]
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Go ahead and blaspheme
Credit: Brad Gregg And you really wouldn’t think there’d be much of an appetite to do that here in the God-lovin’ buckle of the Bible belt. But Rep. Randy Grau wants to blow your mind. The Edmond Republican says he will work next legislative session to repeal a 112-year-old state law that makes blasphemy a […]
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Rising above messages of hate
An anti-Islam movie trailer recently posted to YouTube resulted in unfortunate and inexcusable acts of violence in parts of the Middle East. The film itself is a shameful and disgraceful take on the religion of Islam, and has caused pain in the hearts of the American Muslim community. As an individual who was born in […]
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The toll of Islamophobia
Michele Bachmann and others declare that the U.S. government has been infiltrated and compromised by Muslim terrorists. Illinois Rep. Joe Walsh contends that radical Islam is “trying to kill Americans every week” and that “it is a threat that is much more at home now than it was after 9/11.” In our own state, then-Rep. […]
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Political reflection
I agree that Sheryl Siddiqui’s Commentary (“The post-9/11 Muslim experience”) lacked a clear point, needlessly alluded to the War on Terror and was an essay more about feelings than facts. However, I did not vote for her, nor do my tax dollars pay her salary. It is saddening to see an elected official, namely Rep. […]
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Rep. Paul Wesselhöft questions Islamophobia
We agree with her that many Muslims abhor the killings of 9/11. However, instead of keeping her cause positive, she had to demonstrate how many more Muslims have been killed in our war on terror; and then she accuses Oklahomans and especially her lawmakers of being Islamophobic and “ill-informed” and “brainwashed” and believing in “distortions.” […]
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The post-9/11 Muslim experience
There is no Islamic goal or any benefit to Muslims here or abroad that justifies violence or the killing of innocent people, regardless of their religion. Our religion forbids it; it is a major sin upon the souls of those who do it. Innocent Muslims everywhere are paying dearly for the crimes of killers. After […]
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‘Stoning’ Sally
Kern’s new book “The Stoning of Sally Kern: The Liberal Attack on Christian Conservatism — and Why We Must Take a Stand” is scheduled for release July 5 by FrontLine, an arm of Charisma Media. Kern declined to be interviewed by Oklahoma Gazette, which obtained a copy of the book from the publisher. Kern, a […]