Freedom of Religion in America: The Muslim Debate

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Freedom to worship God as one sees fit is a foundation of our Nation stated by the Constitution by our founding fathers that escaped religious persecution from England and wished no one in the New World that they created through bloodshed to have to endure. It is a hotly debated topic and has been since the Supreme Law of the Land was instated. With that said since the Constitution was written differing cultures have come to make up America as a whole today and brought with them different religions than our founders held. Even they had religious differences and more than disputes over the Indian or “savage people” as they called them over their pagan ways. This country has never gone without conflicts in the area of religion.

It does not surprise me that hearings are being held to determine the state of the Muslim religion on a national level. The same happened with Witchcraft or what is now known as Wicca after “The Burning Times” or what the Christian Church called “The Inquisition”. Not many argue today that burning people at the stake was morally wrong and unfounded, especially innocent people who really were not true Witches. It was a very dark time in history, indeed. I do not want to see this happen again, however, knowing something about the human condition I never rule that out and do know that some people today are still of the mind-state that prevailed and began “The Burning Times”.

Keeping a realistic perspective on this topic as I contemplate the issue I cannot help but sit back and listen carefully to know where this is going. I still have not yet decided an ultimate opinion on the matter but I do think it is very good that Muslims are being brought in to testify on their behalf instead of having someone who knows nothing about the religion testify for them.

What little of the testimony I personally heard today startled me. The Muslim testifying stated that as a Muslim in America he lived by a dual lifestyle. One in public that follows the laws of the land and one in private that allowed him to do as his religious lifestyle ordained yet not conflict with the outside world. This was troubling. He was talking about Sharia law. This led me to write this article as I listened to his own testimony in his own words. This was no one of another religion saying it as a fear tactic but a practicing Muslim.