Column for March 2,2011: Fear Sharia law? Women have more to fear in the US now.

Terrified of Sharia law? We women only need to look closer to home to find some Republicans who want to put us back into the Middle Ages. 

The Shariaphobia would be comical if it were not such a pervasive talking point in right wing media. Last November, citizens of Oklahoma voted to outlaw Sharia law in their home state. Execution of it was immediately put on hold by the courts as unnecessary. No one was ever contemplating considering Sharia law in court rulings.

Shariaphobia is spreading to more open minded states, as well. I received a mailing from conservative Colorado former Senator Bill Armstrong giving us a choice between our constitution or Sharia law. The thesis? Freedom of religion should not be extended to Muslims since they promote violence. Both the Oklahomans and Armstrong's writer exhibit extreme ignorance of the uneven and selective cherry picking application of Sharia law that varies from Muslim country to country. They also have a basic lack of understanding of the primacy of secular laws in the US.

For those not familiar with Sharia law, it is a system of religious based law not found in the Koran, but it was written by those who interpreted the Koran (some would argue falsely) to restrict the rights of women to own property, to divorce among other anti-women measures. Where Oklahomans and everyone else caught up in this paranoia go off the rails is that our Federal and State laws always trump local religious “laws.” Just ask the Mormon sect who try to get away with polygamy and rape of underage girls about that.

So long as women have the vote in the US, Sharia law stands a chance of becoming the law of our land less than an ice cube surviving in a cauldron of a volcano. Our secular democracy, with separation of church and state, is likewise our greatest protection from anything like Sharia law being imposed on us unwillingly as part of an established official religion. We need to guard that protection provided in our Bill of Rights with vigilance. Besides, Muslims constitute less than 1 percent of the US population and even if they were united in a goal to turn us all into Muslims, they have a long way to go.

What women ought to fear, however, is a home grown, real, and immediate threat: some members of the Republican Party and even in some cases, official GOP policy itself. Our gains we have fought for and won since the ‘60's are threatened by them now.

A Georgia state legislator wants to change the legal term for those who were victims of rape, stalking and domestic violence from “victim” to “an accuser.” Such female victims would no longer be referred to as victims, reviving the age old prejudice used as a defense by men that it was always the woman's fault. Glad he did not propose throwing stones at the “accusers.” At least that.

In Congress, Republicans have proposed that hospitals would allow a woman to die rather than perform a lifesaving abortion. Yesiree. They want to let government take away doc's and a woman's discretion to decide who would have a right to life.

Here's one for the Taliban books: Maryland Republicans ended all money for low income preschool programs because “women should really be home with kids, not out working.” Whatever happened to welfare reform that put welfare women to work? What are we back to: Nazi era “Kinder, Kuchen, Kirche” (children, kitchen, church)?

This one is great for horse lovers but not for female humans: In Congress, Republicans voted on cutting all federal funding from Planned Parenthood and are promoting eliminating all funds for federal family planning programs. However there is a bill introduced by a Republican to provide contraception for wild horses.

Just tell me it is not true, Republicans. Spare me from GOPhobia.

To comment go to http://www.skyhidailynews.com/. Documentation is posted at www.mufticforum.com/footnotes.