Judge Blocks Oklahoma Constitutional Amendment Banning Islamic, International Law

Ed Murray, News 9

OKLAHOMA CITY -- A federal judge issued a temporary restraining order against a constitutional amendment that prohibits state courts from considering international and Sharia law when deciding cases. Judge Vicki Miles-LaGrange made the ruling Monday during a hearing.

Plaintiff Muneer Awad said he knows this is just the first step in his effort to stop the implementation of State Question 755, which voters approved Tuesday. The amendment's authors point out the state didn't even prepare a response to the lawsuit before the hearing.

"You'd think if 70 percent of the people overwhelmingly approved a state question, that you could get a response on file and not just show up right as the game starts and put your best foot forward and I think that's what we saw today," said State Senator Anthony Sykes. "I'm looking forward to our Attorney General-Elect getting involved in the matter."

Awad says the Muslim community has received a threatening video, and numerous vulgar e-mails and hate mail since he filed the lawsuit.

"And I urge the authors of this amendment and the supporters of this amendment to please come out and condemn people that act in threatening and intimidating ways," said Awad.

"I haven't seen any hate mail. If they say they have, I don't have any reason to believe they haven't, but I haven't seen it so they can say whatever they want to say," said State Representative Rex Duncan.

Duncan added that no one encourages or condones that sort of behavior.