Church & State - Freedom & Democracy

Source: IslamiCity June 28, 2002

A court in California declared the Pledge of Allegiance is unconstitutional because the phrase "one nation under God" violates the separation of church and state. One of the Judges claimed that the words "one nation under God" are just as objectionable as a statement that "we are a nation 'under Jesus,' a nation 'under Vishnu,' a nation 'under Zeus,' or a nation 'under no god,'" because none of the statements are neutral with respect to religion. This radical ruling is a result of a lawsuit filed in by an atheist whose daughter was subjected to the Pledge of Allegiance in her school.

The federal court rules that reciting the Pledge of Allegiance in public schools is an unconstitutional "endorsement of religion" and claims that US Congress has put the words "under God" in the Constitution as recently as in 1954 during the McCarthy era. The people in power at the time believed that these words could root out Communists as they would refuse to utter them.

The ruling set off a firestorm on Capitol Hill, where Senators passed a unanimous resolution condemning the ruling. Dozens of House members gathered on the Capitol steps to recite the pledge and sing "God Bless America." The entire leadership from all corners of the hall including the 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue recorded their sentiments as follows:

"I hope the Senate will waste no time in throwing this decision back in the face of these stupid judges. That's what they are, stupid."
"This highlights what the fight over federal judges is all about. We do need to put judges on there that would not render this kind of decision."
"The view of the White House is that this was a wrong decision, and the Department of Justice is now evaluating how to seek redress,"

The issue of separation between Church & State is beyond the scope of this article but everyone may arguably agree that unbridled freedom and absolute democracy invariably results in such harmful expressions, may they be in the form of judicial rulings or street promiscuity. All human endeavors need and require a system that can protect all people all the time regardless of their color, ethnicity, faith, etc. Humanity is yet to devise such a system of guarantees.

The One Creator has advised the living and dead Legislators, Senators and the Presidents & the citizenry of the entire race of humanity to chant with every breath in our lives that "There is no god but He! On Him is my trust, and to Him do I turn!"
(The Holy Quran 13:30).

Muslims believe that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain inalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness. Let us begin our Jihad (strive & struggle) together, to establish the virtues as ordained by the Divine in this life and then pray and hope for some peaceful rest in the shadow of the Divine, in the Hereafter.