Anti-Sharia Legislation Is Bad For The Jews

Ron Kampeas reports that some Orthodox Jewish communities are growing uncomfortable with anti-Sharia legislation:

“The laws are not identical, but as a general rule they could be interpreted broadly to prevent two Jewish litigants from going to a beit din,” a Jewish religious court, said Abba Cohen, the Washington director of Agudath Israel of America, an Orthodox umbrella group. “That would be a terrible infringement on our religious freedom.”A number of recent beit din arbitrations that were taken by litigants to civil courts -- on whether a batch of etrogim met kosher standards; on whether a teacher at a yeshiva was rightfully dismissed; and on the ownership of Torah scrolls -- would have no standing under the proposed laws.

This is a reminder of how these laws represent a blanket infringement on individual religious freedom that could be applied across the board, and not simply to the American Muslims targeted by them. The application of Muslim religious principles in certain civil matters is hardly unprecedented and represents no more of a threat to the rule of law than the long-standing practice of allowing adherents to other religions to do so.