A United States Congressman, Barry Moore, has stirred fresh debate after calling for religious immigrants entering America to formally renounce Sharia law and pledge allegiance to the US Constitution.
Moore made the statement while announcing a proposed legislation known as the “CRUSADE Act” in a post shared on his X handle on Wednesday.
According to the lawmaker, the bill is aimed at preventing the promotion of religious doctrines he believes conflict with American constitutional principles.
“Sharia law justifies the persecution of religious minorities, restrictions on women, and the elevation of religious law above all.
“This is why I introduced the CRUSADE Act,” Moore said.
“Immigrants entering our nation as religious workers should disavow Sharia and uphold the Constitution,” he added.
Sharia law, which is derived from Islamic religious principles, is practised in different forms across several Muslim-majority nations and communities around the world.
The development has already generated conversations around religious freedom and immigration policies in the United States, especially as the US Constitution guarantees freedom of religion under the First Amendment.
Religious worker immigration into the United States is currently regulated through federal immigration laws and visa policies.
