re: #170 zombie

Well, there is the nubbin of the dilemma.

If, as you accurately state, “Many Sharia laws violate First Amendment rights,” then those sharia laws must necessarily be disallowed.

HOWEVER, many leading Islamic scholars will tell you that sharia is an integral part of islam; that sharia is based on the Quran, which is the incorruptible and perfect and unchanging Word of God; and that if we ban sharia, we are banning Islam, because sharia and Islam are one and the same.

Now, of course, there are a few “liberal” or “reformed” islamic scholars who try to make the argument that it is possible to live as a Muslim in a secular Western nation, and simultaneously abide by its purely secular laws. But the (more respected) fundamentalist scholars dismiss those reformers as “not true Muslims.”

What do we do? We’re starting to get involved in internal religious doctrinal matters, which is not the role of our government. Who speaks for Islam? Who speaks for any religion?

I don’t see how the dilemma is resolved.

While I understand the logical dilemma you describe, I’m not so sure it’s real.

We don’t allow murder if one’s religion calls for it.
We don’t allow rape if one’s religion allows it.
We don’t allow incitement to violence if one’s religion allows it.
We don’t allow slavery if one’s religion does.

Individual liberty stops where it impinges on that of another.