DAR AL HARB - U.S.A.: THE U.S. CONSTITUTION ACHIEVES THE GOALS MOSLEMS STRIVE FOR

Scholar says U.S., Islamic law congruent
Constitution achieves goals Muslims strive for, expert claims
By Rebecca Persons

The U.S. Constitution is compatible with Islamic culture and should be an agent to help Muslims and others coexist in the U.S., said Islamic scholar Umar Faruq Abd-Allah in a speech attended by about 70 people at the Jester Auditorium Monday night.

"Most people believe the Constitution and Islamic law are really incompatible, but they're trying to achieve the same ideas of equality and justice," said history junior Saba Syed, spokeswoman for the Muslim Students Association, which sponsored the event. "They really are compatible."

Abd-Allah is the chairman of the Nawawi Foundation, a nonprofit organization aimed at teaching Muslims in America. Abd-Allah was born in Nebraska to a Protestant family. He converted to Islam in 1968 and has pursued and studied Arabic and Islamic studies and taught in Saudi Arabia.

Abd-Allah said the majority of Muslims in the U.S. value and support the Constitution and in his experience, even civil and human rights groups defend Muslim rights referencing the U.S. Constitution. He said it is a common misconception for people to believe that followers of Islamic law oppose the Constitution.

He said there is nothing in Islamic law that should make it difficult for Muslims to accept the Constitution, and that under Islamic law, which states that "good customs have the power of law," Muslims should assume the Constitution is beneficial unless proven otherwise.

Abd-Allah said it should be expected that there will be differences, including the issue of separation of church and state, which is a concern among many Muslims, who sometimes advocate the integration of the two.

"Islamic law allowed Muslims to accept others and create unity in diversity," Abd-Allah said. Government sophomore Zaid Hassan said he could relate to Abd-Allah's speech and appreciated his discussion of the issues.

"It is very critical to have a debate about Islam, so we can have proper understanding of where each party stands and how we interpret it," Hassan said.


Pertinent Links:

1) Scholar says U.S., Islamic law congruent