The Florida Senate could vote on Wednesday on a bill that bans the use of Sharia in the Sunshine State. Sharia is a code of law based on the Koran and the teachings of Mohammed. Similar laws have been introduced in 20 states nationwide, although in Minnesota on Monday, a proposal to enact such a law was dropped in the state Legislature.
The measure sailed through the Florida House last week, sponsored by Eustis GOP Representative Larry Metz. When asked what the bill's intent was, he said that there were “cases throughout the country” in which courts have upheld Islamic code, but couldn't name any such case in Florida which the bill would rectify.
The Tampa Bay Times/Miami Herald's Brittany Alana Davis quoted Metz saying this:
“With the increasing internationalization of our economy, the opportunity for foreign law to become an issue in a court proceeding in Florida are greater than ever before,” Metz said. “It’s incumbent upon the Legislature to provide guidance.”
This article appears in Mar 1-7, 2012.