Oklahoma gained national attention last year with the passage of SQ 755, a ballot measure that amends the state constitution by preemptively barring state courts from considering ‘sharia law.’  Sharia literally means “path” in Arabic, and refers loosely to an evolving set of standards derived from religious texts, teachings, and community consensus that govern Islamic life.  A federal judge has temporarily stopped the measure from going into effect pending the results of court challenges.  Opponents of the sharia law ban cite the First Amendment’s Establishment Clause, that government should “make no law respecting the establishment of religion.”

If you want to learn more about the practice of Islam in Oklahoma, click here to watch videos from a round-table discussion with prominent Muslim leaders, teachers, and scholars.  This excellent collaborative series from the Oklahoma Center for Community and Justice, entitled “The Islamic Agenda in Oklahoma,” was filmed in January 2011 and is moderated by Reverend Dr. Bill Crowell, President of the Board of Tulsa Metropolitan Ministry.  The round-table features representatives from the Islamic Society of Greater Oklahoma City, the Oklahoma chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations, the Surayya Anne Foundation (a Muslim women’s shelter), the Islamic Society of Tulsa, and others.

‘Watch This’ to view other clips from OKPolicy’s video series

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