The Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR), the nation’s largest Muslim civil rights and advocacy organization, is calling on all Oklahomans to take IMMEDIATE ACTION to stop HJR 1040 an Anti-Muslim unconstitutional proposal targeting Muslim communities.
TAKE ACTION NOW
Urge Oklahoma Lawmakers to vote No on HJR1040 and HJR1084
HJR 1040, misleadingly titled the “Save Our State Amendment,” is scheduled for a hearing and vote TOMORROW, Tuesday, March 3 at 1:30 PM before the Oklahoma House Rules Committee.
HJR 1040 would amend the Oklahoma Constitution to ban courts from considering Sharia law and international law, explicitly naming one religion in the text of the amendment and ballot title. HJR 1084 advances a similar constitutional effort to further restrict judicial authority. These measures write discrimination into the state constitution and must be stopped.
Federal courts have already ruled this unconstitutional. In Muneer Awad v. Paul Ziriax, the Tenth Circuit struck down Oklahoma’s previous “Save Our State” amendment for singling out Sharia law and violating the First Amendment. Passing these bills again invites another costly and certain legal defeat.
In a Statement CAIR Oklahoma said,
“There is absolutely no Sharia takeover of Oklahoma courts — our judges are bound by the U.S. Constitution, period. These proposals are fear-based political theater that waste taxpayer dollars and target one faith community for discrimination. Lawmakers must reject HJR 1040 and HJR 1084 and stand firmly on the side of the Constitution.”
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CONTACT: CAIR National Deputy Director Edward Ahmed Mitchell, 404-285-9530, e-Mitchell@cair.com; CAIR Government Affairs Director Robert McCaw, 202-742-6448, rmccaw@cair.com; CAIR National Communications Director Ibrahim Hooper, 202-744-7726, ihooper@cair.com; CAIR National Communications Manager Ismail Allison, 202-770-6280, iallison@cair.com