A Northern Illinois blogger has published a constituent communication from the office of Rep. Adam Kinzinger (R-IL) that suggests an individual should be allowed to live his or her life in compliance with Sharia Law, particularly if a U.S. court rules as such.
Reader Jane forwarded me the full response Kinzinger’s staff sent to a constituent concerning the encroachment of Sharia Law into the US and it makes the spokesperson for the House GOP establishment on all things related to the military and foreign policy look like a fool.
Kinzinger’s email response begins by acknowledging that many people inside and outside of the expansive 16th congressional district have concerns about Sharia Law, but then took things a bridge too far by stating that Sharia Law was protected under the free exercise clause of the 1st amendment and that it was his sworn duty as an elected member of Congress to defend the Constitution and by extension Islamic Sharia Law.
The text of the communication from Kinzinger is as follows. It can be interpreted as agreement that an individual is entitled to adhere to Sharia law under the U.S. Constotution, though it’s reasonably accepted that many tenets of Sharia Law violate same – on women’s rights, for just one example:
While our Founding Fathers thoughtfully prohibited the establishment of state sanctioned religion, they purposefully did not restrict religious activity in everyday life. With that in mind, just as Christian, Jewish, and other faith tradition laws may be a part of a private court case between individuals, the same right is guaranteed for Muslim Americans.
As your representative, I swore an oath to protect and defend the U.S. Constitution. I take this oath seriously and will do everything in my power to ensure it is executed faithfully and the rights it guarantees are preserved for all Americans. The fundamental freedom of religion is cornerstone of our American democracy and distinguishes us from nations that do not guarantee this freedom for their citizens.
Reached for comment, Rep. Kinzinger’s office responded, “It is ludicrous to think that Congressman Kinzinger supports Sharia Law. Not only has he fought the proponents of Sharia Law while serving in the U.S. Air Force, but in Congress. To suggest otherwise is simply wrong.”
Kinzinger’s military career is highlighted on his Wiki page.
In 2003, Kinzinger joined the United States Air Force. He was commissioned a 2nd Lieutenant in November 2003 and later awarded his pilot wings. Kinzinger was initially a KC-135 Stratotanker pilot and flew missions in South America, Guam, Iraq and Afghanistan. He later switched to flying the RC-26 surveillance aircraft and was stationed in Iraq twice.[5] Kinzinger has served in the Air Force Special Operations Command, Air Combat Command, Air Mobility Command, and Air National Guard and was progressively promoted to his current rank of Major.
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