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Sharia Law Has Come To Florida

Arabesque

By Tom Tillison
Florida Political Press

Last week, Rep. Sandy Adams (FL24) introduced legislation that “protects the integrity of our Constitution and U.S. laws by clarifying that our courts should follow and uphold our laws – not defer to those of foreign nations.”

Ironically, less than a week prior to Rep. Adams introducing her bill, a Florida judge imposed Sharia Law in a Tampa courtroom, perhaps the best indication yet of just how important such legislation is to this country.

The story is detailed by Brigitte Gabriel, author of the book ‘They Must Be Stopped’, in a Red County post;

In Tampa, Florida, a dispute arose over who controls the funds a mosque received in 2008 from an eminent domain proceeding.

Former trustees of the mosque are claiming in court they have the right to the funds. Current mosque leaders are disputing that claim.

The current mosque leaders want the case decided according to secular, Florida civil law, and their attorney has been vigorously arguing the case accordingly.

The former trustees of the mosque want the case decided according to sharia law.

Here’s the kicker.

The judge recently ruled “This case will proceed under Ecclesiastical Islamic law,” (sharia law), “pursuant to the Qur’an.”

You can read the judge’s ruling here.

Now it’s not unusual for a dispute to arise within a religious institution and for a court to order a mediation or arbitration, in order to resolve this without the court having to render its own judgment.

But what makes this case unusual, and highly troubling, is that a group of Muslim leaders—the CURRENT mosque leaders—who do NOT want to be subject to sharia law, are being compelled to do so by an American judge!

The judge in reference is the Honorable Richard A. Nielsen, Circuit Court Judge in the Circuit Court of the Thirteenth Judicial Circuit in and for Hillsborough County (Tampa), Florida Civil Division.

The judges ruling states;

1. This case will proceed under Ecclesiastical Islamic Law.

2. Under Ecclesiastical Islamic, pursuant to the Qur’an, Islamic brothers should try to resolve a dispute among themselves. When the brothers are unable to do so, they can agree to present the dispute to the greater community of brothers within the mosque or the Muslim community for resolution. If that is not done or does not result in a resolution of the dispute, the dispute is to be presented to an Islamic judge for determination, and that is or can be A’lim.

3. The remainder of the hearing will be to determine whether Islamic dispute resolution procedures have been followed in this matter.

In effect, due process in an American court is being denied and Sharia law is being imposed on an unwilling participant. Right here in Florida.

Cross-Posted

COMMENTS

  • Justin Spagnolo (standardcandle)

    What’s the Judge thinking?

    So my take, either the judge was being lazy, or he feared some sort of personal retribution from either party…

    that, or he’s got a political agenda and is hoping to set a new precedent.

    • jstjoan

      Doesn’t appear to be the case here though.

    • capeconservative

      has to be stopped – SOONER than later!

      Our country is becoming unrecognizable!

  • runner12

    against Sharia law being used in our courts. At the time, I did not think it was very necessary. After all, we live in Oklahoma! I still voted for it though, because agreed with it.

    I could not have been more wrong on thinking it would not happen here. Within days of the passing of the law, a lawsuit was filed by someone (supported by CAIR) to have it declared unconstitutional. An idiot judge has issued a temporary stay.

    However, I recently heard that a State Congresswoman is going to introduce a bill outlawing ALL international law in Oklahoma courts, thus making the CAIR challenge null and void. I love it when people who are trying to undermine our country get outsmarted!

    • earlgrey

      shortly after that was passed I saw something where they were making fun of Oklahoma for passing just that law. I wish I could remember, but it has been awhile.

      • runner12

        the source either. But no one is laughing now. When the lawsuit was filed many peoples’ eyes were opened.

    • capeconservative

      Now…let me see how long it will take to pick up our toys and relocate to OK!!!! You have some OUTSTANDING members of both state and federal Congresses!

  • Locked and Loaded

    of death by beheading against the infidels who have appealed to the jurisprudence of the Great Satan?

  • http://xmmlbchat.blogspot.com katesmith

    This article from 12/5/08 explains the acceptance and proliferation of Islamic extremism in the Tampa area, “Tampa Mayor honors extremism.” It references Mayor Pam Iorio honoring Islamists. Don’t forget about Sami Al-Arian.

  • Joshua Persons

    There are people out there defending the judge. I’m not one of them — I don’t know enough about the situation to take any sides. The defenders include Ron Paul supporters Young Americans for Liberty, so take this with a grain of salt.

    Nielsen’s defenders claim that the two parties originally agreed to sharia law under an a’lim — similar to agreeing to arbitration before heading to civil court. Through some legal maneuvering, some possibly shady stuff, and some promises that may not have been kept, the a’lim found against one of the parties. The a’lim may be complicit in some of the shady stuff. So the party that lost is going to the civil courts. The party that won either wants the a’lim’s decision to stand or wants a “retrial” under sharia law, I’m not sure which. Nielsen’s ruling is for a sharia “retrial”, with Florida court supervision or something to ensure nothing shady happens. If the retrial is unsuccessful, either party would then have recourse back to Nielsen’s court directly.

  • The_Gadfly

    agreed to arbitration, which makes the case judicial activism at its worst.

    This is actually an easy case to examine with a practical hypothetical. The general form of what the judge has held is that in cases involving religious people, religious law can be used instead of secular law. He seems to think this is a novel application of the law, and sites it for Sharia, under the synonym of Islamic Law. Christianity contains the exact same injunction – Christians should seek out other Christians to resolve disputes without involving secular courts. Can any of us without laughing imagine a judge ruling that two Christians with a dispute must use a Christian arbiter to resolve their dispute without a prior secular contractual agreement stating the same? Heck, even if there was a secular contract, how many of us think it would stand once one of the parties challenged it in secular court?

  • Raven

    Or is that in her book?