Are Muslims above the law? Sometimes.

A growing Muslim population in the West has increasingly pitted Islamic teaching against traditional Western values. It appears that this tension has increasingly resulted in the West becoming “de-Christianized” while simultaneously becoming more “Islamo-cized.” If a Christian principle, for instance, counters a prevailing national law, the Christian side is often dismissed, harassed, prosecuted, or persecuted and labeled “closed-minded," "bigoted," "intolerant," or "judgmental.” On the other hand, if a Muslim follows Islamic teaching that runs counter to national law – like wife beating – there appears to be increasing favoritism shown towards Islamic law. Take, for example, the recent wrong-headed effort at “cultural sensitivity” – possibly influenced by intimidation – in Germany, where Judge Christa Datz-Winter placed the Koran above the German constitution. As stated in the New York Times:

“…The judge turned down the wife’s request for a speedy divorce, saying her husband’s behavior did not constitute unreasonable hardship because they are both Moroccan. ‘In this cultural background,’ she wrote, ‘it is not unusual that the husband uses physical punishment against the wife.’”

This has resulted in a political backlash. Fox News reported:

“Lawmakers from Chancellor Angela Merkel's Christian Democrats said traditional Islamic law, or Sharia, had no place in Germany. ‘The legal and moral concepts of Sharia have nothing to do with German jurisprudence,’ Wolfgang Bosbach, a lawmaker with the Christian Democrats, told N24 television.”