A bill that would ban the use of the Islamic Shariah legal code in Florida has made it to the state Senate floor. The advance came after supporters invoked a procedural maneuver to move it through the final committee, The Palm Beach Post reports.
Critics, including the Anti-Defamation League, object to the measure because it also would prevent Jewish couples from using Jewish Bet Din tribunals to get a divorce, a process the religion requires for remarriage.
The House has approved the bill. The Senate Criminal Justice Committee approved the measure last week after less than three minutes of debate. The Senate committee vote Tuesday took place the same day as the fourth Muslim Annual Capitol Day.
Muslim leaders aren't happy about the bill. "We're not the people who are unAmerican," Ahmed Bedier, who organized the Capitol Day rally, said last week. "They are, for violating the Constitution and introducing legislation that limits religious freedom."
The Anti-Defamation League recommended that Florida legislators drop the ban, arguing it’s unnecessary as both the state and U.S. constitutions already ban the use of foreign or religious law in courts.
The full Senate may vote on the bill as early as Wednesday.
© 2013 Newsmax. All rights reserved.