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Wednesday, Dec 12, 2012 5:56 PM UTC

Meanwhile, Michigan is also considering a ban on Shariah law

The state Legislature is mulling a block on "foreign laws that would impair constitutional rights”

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Topics: Sharia, Michigan, Rick Snyder, Islam, Islamophobia, CAIR,

Meanwhile, Michigan is also considering a ban on Shariah law (Credit: AP Photo/Paul Sancya)

As the protests in Michigan continue over the new right-to-work law, the state Legislature is now considering passing a ban on Shariah law.

The bill, sponsored by Republican state Rep. Dave Agema, would block “foreign laws that would impair constitutional rights” in the state. The Associated Press reports that though the bill “doesn’t specifically mention the Islamic legal code called sharia,” its “supporters have said they are concerned about the use of sharia spreading.”

From the AP:

It wasn’t immediately clear whether a vote would be taken before the lame-duck session ends. Lawmakers have said they would like to wrap up by Thursday, and they focused Tuesday on giving final approval to divisive right-to-work bills that bar unions from collecting mandatory fees from workers they represent under collective-bargaining agreements.

Agema explained: “They want specific laws applied to their specific groups. They do not want to be under our law.” He added that those who are angry about the bill have “ulterior motives.”

Agema has also previously suggested that President Obama is a Muslim.

CAIR called the bill “anti-Islam” and said it “is calling on all people of conscience to urge Gov. Snyder to veto the biased bill, which is among those that seek to impose government-sanctioned discrimination on followers of a minority faith.”

A number of other states have banned or are trying to ban Shariah law (check out this guide from Mother Jones for the full list). Notably, Oklahoma’s similar law was blocked by a federal court in 2010. The ruling was upheld by an appeals court in January of this year.

Jillian Rayfield

Jillian Rayfield is an Assistant News Editor for Salon, focusing on politics. Follow her on Twitter at @jillrayfield or email her at jrayfield@salon.com. More Jillian Rayfield.

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