Texas City Responds to Launch of Islamic Tribunal

City council members in Irving, Texas, have passed a resolution showing support for a state bill that prohibits foreign law from subverting Texas or U.S. laws.

Irving is home to an Islamic tribunal that has been accused of supplanting American laws by following Shariah law instead.

Lawmakers in the city of Irving are growing concerned with the use of Shariah law in family court issues like custody and divorce.

The Islamic tribunal in Irving advertises it will help mediate civil disputes in the Muslim community as an alternative to American court.

"Muslims in Irving aren't pushing some Shariah law on everybody," attorney Khaled Hamideh said. "People going through a divorce want an alternative to where they don't want to spend thousands of dollars on an attorney like me."

Muslim women, however, are not protected the same way under Shariah law as they are under American law.

The Center for Security Policy released a report in 2011 that discovered 50 cases where Muslim women were asking American courts to preserve their rights to equal protection and due process during their divorce.

Dr. Frank Gaffney, leader of CSP, has studied what happens when Shariah law enters into state court decisions.

"I think what we will see is a coercion of Muslims to participate in this program," Gaffney told CBN News.

Irving's Mayor Beth van Duyne said she believes Shariah law should not be practiced in place of American law.

"To me it was kind of a no-brainer that people would support a resolution that would support our U.S. Constitution and our state constitution. I looked at it as a straightforward constitutional issue, a straightforward House bill that is reaffirming basic fundamental rights of Texas, and I supported it," van Duyne explained.

Texas House Bill 562 is scheduled for a hearing this week.