A proposed amendment to Oklahoma's state constitution that would have prevented the state courts from considering Sharia (Islamic law) was struck down by a federal judge on August 15, the World Wide Religious News website reports today (August 18, 2013).
Chief District Judge Vicki Miles-LaGrange of the Western District of Oklahoma ruled that the amendment's references to Sharia -- or Islamic law -- violated the Establishment Clause of the U.S. Constitution.
"While the public has an interest in the will of the voters being carried out, the Court finds that the public has a more profound and long-term interest in upholding an individual's constitutional rights," she ruled.
"Throughout the case, the state couldn't present even a shred of evidence to justify this discriminatory, unnecessary measure," Daniel Mach, director of the American Civil Liberties Union's Program on Freedom of Religion and Belief, said in a statement.
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