The sponsors of a Tennessee bill targeting organizations that practice Sharia are rewriting the measure to remove all references to religion.The new version takes out language that said Sharia advocates violence and threatens the United States and Tennessee constitutions. The change makes clear that peaceful religious practices wouldn't be considered a violation.
One of the sponsors said, "It is about protecting our citizens from those who would use religious doctrine as a justification to commit criminal activities or terrorist acts."
"I think it's a victory for common sense and legislative restraint," Ibrahim Hooper said. "This is a win for Tennessee's Muslim community."
Mohamed Ahmed, imam of the Islamic Center of Nashville, was pleased that language that implicated Muslims was removed from the bill, but he wondered whether lawmakers in Tennessee should press ahead when the federal government already has broad powers to fight terrorism.
"I don't think there is a need for it. It's not going to target me as a Muslim, but it's going to target other people," he said.