Editor's Note: CNN’s Soledad O’Brien chronicles the dramatic fight over the construction of a mosque in the heart of the Bible belt. “Unwelcome: The Muslims Next Door," airs March 27 at 8 p.m. ET.
Murfreesboro, Tennessee, has been the epicenter of a months-long battle over the construction of a new mosque in the Nashville suburb. It's one example of many concerning Muslims in America, and how cities and communities are responding to efforts to build Islamic places of worship.
That battle got fiercer when two state lawmakers, one representing Murfreesboro, introduced legislation that would make it a felony to practice Sharia law, which includes lessons found in the Quran, the holy book of Islam, and which can inform how Muslims live their everyday lives, including prayer rituals. Many Muslims consider Sharia law to outline basic tenets of living a moral life. What is Sharia law?
State Sen. Bill Ketron, R-Murfreesboro, and state Rep. Judd Matheny, R-Tullahoma, who are backing the same bill in the Senate and House, describe Sharia law as dangerous to U.S. national security, according to the Tennessean newspaper. The bill grants Tennessee's attorney general the power to investigate complaints about anyone who might be practicing Sharia law.
The possible punishment for practicing Sharia law is 15 years behind bars.
Last year, construction equipment on the site of a planned mosque in Murfreesboro was torched, and police suspect arson. Signs on the mosque property were vandalized with spray paint reading, "Not welcome." Two other proposed Islamic centers in Tennessee stoked much controversy last year. A Crusaders' cross was spray-painted on the side of a Nashville mosque, next to the words, "Muslims go home." In Williamson County, not far from Murfreesboro, plans to build a mosque were quashed after residents complained a turn lane into the building would be too costly. The debate over a mosque near ground zero in New York is still raging. The U.S. Justice Department supports the Murfreesboro mosque.
Tennessee isn't the first state to consider anti-Sharia law legislation. Oklahoma passed a similar bill last year. This month Missouri House Speaker Steve Tilley said he would support a bill that "maintains that U.S. law shall take precedence in U.S. courts," according to the St. Louis Post-Dispatch. Tilley referenced a case, frequently cited in the debate concerning the Oklahoma law, in which a New Jersey judge relied on Islamic law to rule in a case involving domestic violence.
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If the Republicans do not start a lasting war with Islam, their party is toast. They tried to make China the threat, but their corporate master balked, so now its Islam in all its forms, as opposed to Terrorists, and oppressive States. Its vital to maintain the fear as crime rates fall to their lowest levels in 100 years, and there are no communists to worry about.
How else but fear to trick lower and middle class whites into voting against their own interests?
@scottfrom NH,Say what?!!! If you`re inviting the muzzies up here make sure you take them into your home!!I want nothing to do with the carpet kissing freaks.You`ve got to be out of your mind!
That hold true with the whole easter bunny crowd as well.
Everyone needs to realize that Christianity and Islam have always butted heads throughout history and still to this day. It'll never change. It would be nice if we all could just get along but it'll never happen. Thanks to ignorant people who like to make the situations worse than what they really are when they start. I guess this is where the young generation need to pull together and change what the older generations have started. Because we have to live in this mess they have made.
What a waste of time.
if anyone wants a really good book that demonstrates the risks with continuing to let Muslims enforce Sharia law, check out "While Europe Slept". It tells a very poignant tale of how the very tolerant liberal folks in Europe let this risk sneak up on them, and how now trying to undo the damage is often more difficult that they realized. Look at the French. In many ways one of the the MOST liberal countries in Europe, and even they are banning the burqa...
Wake up folks, Jews, Christians, and followers of other religions aren't repressing women and promoting violence like much of Islam. Just look at how those in the Middle East and northern Africa are rebelling now...
you can't compare apples to oranges. Christians do not kill to get a extra blessing in heaven. And all I ever see are old testament scriptures. Jesus came to fulfill the laws and he also said that whosoever is without sin could cast the first stone. and since we have all sinned then no one has has that right. Jesus's teachings are about grace and forgiveness.
Americas laws are sufficient without imposing Sharia law. If you want to practice Sharia law then go back to where you can already do this.
"While Europe Slept" – read it and see what the Muslim faith has done to much of Europe. Don't let them do it here in the States!
People who keep quoting the Bible don't actually understand what it says, or don't have any clue as to how Halakha (Jewish Law) is interpreted.
Bible readers no longer kill because the book says so. Islam still follows their Koran/Hadith/Sunnah literally – so it's legal for them to do 'honor killings,' kill apostates, atheists, gays, and any 'infidels' unwilling to convert/pay. These activities are NOT legal in USA, so muslims can still pray but can NOT follow sharia law – ban it! All must follow USA laws.
No, it's not legal because religious law does NOT trump civil law in the US. Murder is murder regardless of what God's name you do it in.
Good old Republican racists. "Don't tread on me. Unless you don't look like me, then I can tread on you for being brown."
Sharia Law & Islam are have nothing to do with race, Islam includes followers of all races. Grow up and learn the difference between these laws which Islam wishes to apply to all people.
USA already has laws. There cannot be 'parallel societies' with their own set of laws within our country. Either you obey one or the other. If you are not obeying USA laws, then you are choosing to break our laws. Muslims can pray at home or at the mosque, but they cannot run a society of 'parallel' laws instead of USA laws. In other words – NO to sharia law – ban it! No to 'honor' killings which are quite legal in sharia. No to killing apostates, atheists, gay persons – all ok under sharia. No to killing 'infidels' (that the rest of us) once muslims build their numbers here.
You are right, the US already has laws. Those laws trump religious law, this was established a while ago. We don't need to pass a law saying honor killing is illegal – murder is illegal already.
It doesn't surprise me one bit... Georgia republicans are trying to pass a law through legislation that would make a women who has a miscarriage a murderer! Punishable by Death... YAY AMERICA... Canada is looking a lot nicer even in the winter.....
jihad is declared on every in-bred southern right-wing redneck keeping our country in the 1800's.
Run for the hills, the Russians are coming, the Russians are coming!!
I have no problem with anyone practicing their faith but remember our laws supersedes your book of faith when it comes to applying our laws. Our prejudices has been part of our fiber for a very long time and seems nothing has changed. People we prejudice a against the Italians, the Irish, the Jews, and on and on. Eventually this prejudice towards the Muslims will be taken over by another prejudice. Right now , its the Muslims turn because all others had had their time. Suck it up Muslims and fight a good fight but this too shall pass. Before you know it, you will be replaced and we will focus our prejudice on another race or something else related to that race, its not personal its just the way we are.
HOORAY FOR TENNESSEE!!! ALRIGHT AMERICANS, LETS FALL IN BEHIND THEM AND SUPPORT THEM!!! If "we the people" don't start standing up for ourselves and America, AMERICA WILL BE RUN BY FOREIGNERS!!! If you think that is politically incorrect, THANK YOU!!! Unless the bleeding-heart-liberals wake up, they are going to see what their years of liberalism is doing to our country!!! SHARIA LAW IS NOT OUR LAWS!!! IF THESE FOREIGNERS WANT TO PRACTICE SHARIA LAW, THEN THEY SHOULD GO BACK TO WHERE THEY COME FROM, NOW!!!!!! THIS IS AMERICA AND WE PRACTICE AMERICAN LAWS, NOT SHARIA LAWS!!!!