Tennessee’s Lt. Gov. Ron Ramsey and Islam

Ramsey: Unclear about Islam vs. Sharia Law.

In what is already proving to be a popular Talking Point for Liberals, Republican Lieutenant Governor Ron Ramsey (who, Liberals point out, is “a Tea Party-backed” candidate) seemed to suggest Islam is not protected under the U.S. Constitution’s 1st Amendment.  Or did he?

Q:  We’ve got a threat that’s invading our country from the Muslims. What’s your stand on that?

A: RAMSEY: Okay, absolutely. Right now, I’ve been up in Rutherford County where this all got started. This is so ironic, because this is one of those questions — I ran for 17 months and nobody ever asked me about this until a month ago — three weeks ago — and what happened is they’re trying to put a mosque into Rutherford County. … Now, I’m all about freedom of religion. I obey the first amendment as much as I obey the second amendment, as much as I obey the tenth amendment, and on and on and on. But you crossed a line when they start trying to bring Sharia Law into the state of Tennessee — into the United States. We live under our Constitution. …

I’ve been trying to learn about Sharia Law, I’ve been trying to learn about what’s going on; it is not good if that’s what’s going on. You could even argue whether being a Muslim is actually a religion or is it a nationality, way of life, or cult, whatever you want to call it. But we do protect our religions, but this is something we’re going to have to face.

In an email to Think Progress Ramsey wrote:

“…far too much of Islam has come to resemble a violent political philosophy  more than peace-loving religion. It’s time for American Muslims who love this country to publicly renounce violent jihadism and to drum those who seek to do America harm out of their faith community.”

Liberals accuse Ramsey of saying Islam does not enjoy 1st Amendment protection because it is not a religion.  Reading Ramsey’s answer above it appears that he is confusing Islam with Sharia Law.  One could say the two are integral to each other however Turkey is an example of a Muslim majority, secular state.

Sharia Law would go against the U.S. Constitution while Islam would not any more than Catholicism, Hinduism, or Judaism does.

England, with its expanding Muslim population, is wrestling with the concepts Mr. Ramsey seems to be having trouble enunciating – Sharia Law vs. Native Law:

A new report by One Law for All has found Sharia Councils and Muslim Arbitration Tribunals to be in violation of UK law, public policy and human rights.

There is a general assumption that those who attend Sharia courts do so voluntarily and that unfair decisions can be challenged in a British court. Many of the principles of Sharia law are contrary to British law and public policy, and would in theory therefore be unlikely to be upheld in a British court. In reality, however, women are often pressured by their families into going to these courts and adhering to unfair decisions, and may lack knowledge of English and their rights under British law. Moreover, refusal to settle a dispute in a Sharia court can give rise to threats and intimidation, or at best being ostracised.

It is clear that Mr. Ramsey waded into areas where his knowledge is far from deep – Islam, Constitutional Law, and Sharia Law, but that won’t stop Liberals from trying to paint him, the Republican Party, and the 20 Tea Party groups which support him, as a racist.

And the main website which is spreading this rumor is Think Progress which, as Gateway Pundit reminds us, has a history of inventing racism charges against Tea Party candidates:

The horrible far left hacks at Think Progress  once again were caught lying about supposed racism in the tea party movement. On Monday they posted some random editorial – from early July – published in a New Hampshire paper – by some lone racist and tried to link him to the tea party…. But if you read the whole editorial you see that “tea party” is not even mentioned in the racist editorial

Think Progress also admits that they don’t even know if Murdough is a tea partier. But, he did mention “tea party” in the comment’s section of the July article and therefore, according to these radical hacks at Think Progress, that proves that the tea party is racist.

What Mr. Ramsey said might make him sound like an ignorant buffoon but that’s very different from the message Liberals are trying to spread about him that Islam is not a Constitutionally protected religion.

Don’t expect Liberals to care if you know the difference.

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