Sharia law dispute goes to court

A federal judge will hear arguments Monday on a preliminary injunction against one of the most contentious ballot measures in this month's elections -- an Oklahoma referendum that banned state courts from considering international or Islamic law when deciding cases.

U.S. District Judge Vicki Miles-LaGrange already had blocked certification of SQ755, which passed November 2 with 70 % of voters backing the measure. Monday's hearing in her Oklahoma City court will focus on a request for a restraining order that would block the law from taking effect until the lawsuit has been resolved.

The case was brought by Muneer Awad, executive director of the Oklahoma Council for American Islamic Relations, on the grounds that the amendment is religious discrimination and would invalidate his will, which is partially based on Islamic law, also known as Sharia law.

The measure has prompted confusion and heated debate over exactly what the measure would ban, with Muslims and other opponents calling the referendum a cheap bit of “Islamophobia” ginned up against a non-existent problem, while anti-jihad activists and the measure's proponents accuse Muslims of bad faith and blame the state for causing the confusion in the first place.

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More than 200 new laws take effect in Oklahoma

Oklahoma authorities today can begin towing cars of any drivers stopped for traffic violations who don't have insurance or who have been barred from driving.

House Bill 2331, which allows law enforcement officers to seize uninsured cars or vehicles of unlicensed drivers, is among slightly more than 200 new laws going into effect today.

The law requires officers verify compliance with the compulsory insurance law through an online program for all traffic stops. A driver cannot be stopped under the law for the sole purpose of checking for insurance.

A few other traffic-related laws taking effect include allowing motorcyclists and bicyclists to go through red lights in some instances and a ban on using hand-held electronic devices while driving with a learner's permit or a graduated driver's license.

If a driver on a learner's permit or graduated license is talking on a cell phone, text messaging or in any way engaged in using a hand-held device, officers can issue a citation.

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