US Presidential candidate Dr. Ben Carson’s comment that Islam is inconsistent with the US Constitution sparked a flurry of public response via news broadcasts and social media. I’ve spent nearly twenty-five years in a country boasting a population that is 95% Muslim, so I am quite familiar with the practices of Islam. Using only the Preamble to the Constitution, I sought an answer to the question: Could Ben Carson be right?
Preamble
Here’s the summary we memorized as junior high students:
“We the people of the United States, in order to form a more perfect union, establish justice, insure domestic tranquility, provide for the common defense, promote the general welfare, and secure the
blessings of liberty to ourselves and our posterity, do ordain and establish this Constitution for the United States of America.”
Separating each phrase, I examined what I’d experienced and been told by the moderate Muslims amongst whom I’ve lived. The argument has been made that moderate Muslims behave far differently than their radical brothers. However, since each holds the Koran as their guide, it’s the Koran that must be compared to the Constitution, not simply the behavior of individual men and women.
We, the people of the United States, in order to form a more perfect union
The phrase introduces the intention of the people to have unity in the midst of diversity. Islam does not support this intention.
In Islam, the state and religion are one and the same. The State is ruled by the revelations of Mohamed, as recorded in the Koran. Political decisions can only be made in submission to the religious authorities. There is no government of the people, by the people and for the people in Islam.
Establish justice
Islam uses a system of sharia law. There is no jury of one’s peers, and the only judge is the Koran. The religious law deals with all infractions.
The penalties for breaking the Islamic law are extremely radical. . Regardless of what had been stolen, the penalty is to cut off the offender’s hand. Also, one can lose a hand if caught eating in public during the fast month of Ramadan or for drinking alcohol. One young man refused to obey an order from an elder and paid for the infraction by the loss of his right hand and left foot.
A woman accused of adultery will be stoned to death in public. Sharia infractions and subsequent penalties remain a vital part of the Islamic system of justice.
In a recent poll of moderate Muslim immigrants who settled in the United States, a shocking 51% would like to see Sharia law instituted in America because it’s the only lawful authority in their belief system. Some American courts already uphold Sharia law.
The following is only one example: When her husband repeatedly raped and beat her, the judge denied the Minnesota woman’s request for a restraining order. His Honor reminded her that, under the Muslim Sharia law, her husband had a right to have sex with her whenever he chose, including his right to beat her if she disagreed with him about anything.
Insure domestic tranquility
The Constitution allows peaceful demonstrations, even against the government. The sign-carrying radical whose banner calls for an end to the government, doesn’t go to jail unless he beats someone over the head with the sign.
In Islam, no such liberty exists. Opposing the government carries serious consequences.
When dropping down to the more basic level of domestic tranquility, one discovers tranquility in the home exists only when there is no opposition to male dominance. The wife and children must agree with the men in the house–father, husband, or brother. The lady who attends her father’s funeral even though her husband refused her request will receive a legally allowed beating. Even if the assault sends the woman to the hospital, the male relative cannot be prosecuted; it’s his right to beat her.
The LGBT community should be exploding with opposition to the suggestion that Islam is consistent with the US Constitution. Can anyone forget the horrendous murders of gay men recorded on the Islamic videos marking the Supreme Court’s decision to legalize same-sex marriage? The Koran forbids such domestic partnership under penalty of a barbaric death.
Provide for the common defense
The Constitution allows citizens to own weapons with which to protect themselves and their property. Though I’m on the side of those calling for some restrictions on the type of weapons allowed the citizenry, the Constitution permits such ownership.
Law enforcement officers cannot enter a citizen’s home or seize his property without a court order from a civil judge.
Under Islamic law, the individual possesses no right to defend himself against sudden search and seizure of his property. Everything has to do with the wishes of the religious authorities.
Promote the general welfare
While the Constitution mandates that children attend school, under Islam, girls seldom obtain even the basic education. The only position for a girl or woman is to serve the needs of a man—husband, father or brother. Girls are believed to have an inferior intellect, so education is wasted on them.
In our village, the men expressed shock when I suggested that they teach their wives to ride a bike. Each one laughed and said, “Women can’t learn to ride a bike! Their brains are weaker than ours.”
Secure the blessings of liberty to ourselves and our posterity
It’s no secret that liberty for the common folk doesn’t exist inside of Islam. The only liberty being secured for now and future generations involves the few who possess the power and authority to rule over everyone else.
The definition of Islam is submission or surrender—meaning submission to the laws of Allah as written in the Koran. The man at the top of the hierarchy decides the interpretation and administration of the specifics.
Conclusion
Having reviewed the Preamble in the light of what I know to be true about Islam, I can draw only one logical conclusion to the question, “Could Ben Carson be right?” The one lengthy sentence that summarizes the Constitution suggests that Islam is inconsistent with the US Constitution. If one took the time to read the long document, I have no doubt many other points of inconsistency would emerge.
Call to Action
I urge you to examine this important issue for yourself today. If you are an American, who has enjoyed the freedom inherent in your citizenship, take a minute to consider how life might change if the man in the Oval Office believed in Sharia law. Would things remain the same if he made a commitment to practice Islam exactly as it’s written in the Koran?
