SEE: Lawmakers Vote to Ban Foreign Law in State Courts
http://www.okhouse.gov/okhousemedia/news_story.aspx?NewsID=3846

"Representative Kern has presented HB 1552 as an attempt to re-invent the anti-Sharia amendment introduced in last year's elections -- an amendment that was found to be unconstitutional and unnecessary by the U.S. District Court,” said CAIR-OK Executive Director Muneer Awad.

Awad added: "In an attempt to target Islam without using the wording of the unconstitutional SQ 755, Kern's bill will actually target all religions. HB 1552 will violate our constitutional rights to create private contracts and will deny people the use of Jewish Law, Catholic Law, or any other religious law, while also jeopardizing international business contracts that include forms of arbitration, choice of law clauses, or foreign law clauses. Other states have already rejected this type of legislation as unnecessary, harmful to the business community and unconstitutional."

SEE: SD Lawmakers Reject Bill Targeting Foreign Law
http://plainsdaily.com/story/9836
SEE: Lawyers Speak Against GA Bill That Bans Foreign Laws in State Courts
http://www.law.com/jsp/article.jsp?id=1202480459397&slreturn=1&hbxlogin=1
SEE: Religious Law Long Recognized By U.S. Courts
http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=129731015

"At a time when our economy and job creation should be our legislature's top priority, Representative Kern has made it her priority to promote an anti-Muslim amendment to ban religious laws in Oklahoma and threaten international contracts for Oklahoma businesses," said Awad.

Awad noted that HB 1552 was written by the Washington-based Center for Security Policy. David Yerushalmi, the staff attorney for that group, is associated with similar anti-Sharia bills being considered in a number of state legislatures. Yerushalmi is also head of the anti-Islam hate group Society of Americans for National Existence (SANE).

SEE: Bill Written by Center for Security Policy
http://newsok.com/house-panel-oks-bill-on-immigration-rules/article/3544850
Meet the White Supremacist Leading the GOP's Anti-Sharia Crusade
http://tinyurl.com/4amcmex

On its now password-protected website, SANE offered a policy proposal that would make "adherence to Islam" punishable by 20 years in prison, called for the immediate deportation of all non-citizen Muslims and urged Congress to declare war on the "Muslim Nation," which SANE defined as "all Muslims."

SEE: A SANE Act to Deal with the Islamic Threat to America's National Existence (SADITANE)
http://tinyurl.com/4b54c88

SANE's mission statement included white supremacist language such as: "America was the handiwork of faithful Christians, mostly men, and almost entirely white." An online SANE article stated: "There is a reason the founding fathers did not give women or black slaves the right to vote."

HB 1552 passed in the House with 76 votes. CAIR-Oklahoma mailed letters of support to Representatives Mike Shelton, Cory Williams, and Emily Virgin for "serving Oklahoma's economic interests, and rejecting the politics of fear." CAIR-Oklahoma has also prepared an action alert outlining the unconstitutionality of HB 1552 and encouraging Oklahomans to call and mail members of the Senate to oppose the Amendment.

CAIR is America's largest Muslim civil liberties and advocacy organization. Its mission is to enhance the understanding of Islam, encourage dialogue, protect civil liberties, empower American Muslims, and build coalitions that promote justice and mutual understanding.

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CONTACT: CAIR-OK Executive Director Muneer Awad, 405-248-5853 or E-Mail: This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it