The First Amendment Protects All of Us — Or None of Us

Breaking down the free exercise clause, the establishment clause, and the anti-Shariah movement with Dahlia Taha from the Muslim Public Affairs Council

I’m grateful I had the chance to sit down with Dahlia Taha, Founding Director of the Muslim Public Affairs Council’s First Amendment Center, for the kickoff of their new video series on religious freedom under the U.S. Constitution. Spreading awareness about the rights of all Americans matters because the same government targeting Muslim Americans today has the power to come for every faith community tomorrow. Let’s Address This.

The First Amendment has two clauses that work together to protect every single person in this country, citizen or not.

The free exercise clause guarantees the right to practice your faith without government interference. And the establishment clause prohibits the government from declaring an official religion, favoring one faith over another, or singling one out for hostility. Together, they form the wall between religion and state that this country was founded on.

If you’ve been following the wave of hearings in Congress targeting “Shariah law”, this interview is for you. The bottom line: these bills are already unconstitutional. They aren’t solving a real problem. They’re using the Constitution as cover for religious bigotry.

Watch my interview with Dahlia on YouTube.

The rise of anti-Islamic sentiment in the U.S. today is exactly why I launched my platform Islam Today. There, I share scholarship and faith-based reflections to reach more people with truth over fear. It is also free to read and share, because education should be accessible to everyone.

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