Criminalizing Adultery: A Proposition Long Overdue

Of possible interest to Muslims Monday, is an Latimes.com (the Internet edition of the Los Angeles Times) story concerning one Ms. Laura Onate Palacios and her campaign to criminalize adultery. According to the Times, Ms. Palacios has launched an effort to acquire the 400,000 signatures needed in the next five months in order for her proposed legislation to appear on California's ballot in the year 2000.

The article focuses mainly on Palacios, detailing some of her marital history, suggesting causal elements therein that might have contributed to the genesis of her proposed legislation. But the Times fails to address the underlying sentiment behind Palacios' efforts: that there are many Americans of all creeds, genders and colors, that find fault with the general laxity in American society with reference to sexual morality.

Adultery is a truly pervasive element in society. Marital infidelity wrecks homes, destroys lives and creates chaos in a type of relationship that needs the utmost order and stability. And because of this, Ms. Palacios is well-justified in feeling that California needs legislation to handle such impropriety.

In a state where local governments and businesses can be rather fast and loose with regard to sexuality, accountability and responsibility seem to have been divorced from the concept of marital relations.

Dissenters will no doubt cry foul and accuse Palacios of attempting to legislate morality. But how else then is America to begin to reclaim a moral identity that has been trod upon by no less than the Chief Executive himself?

The fact of the matter is, that while some Americans are happily declining into extreme moral liberalism, others are standing up to voice their opposition on such issues as adultery, homosexuality, fornication and other endeavors of the flesh that so rapaciously devour society. It's in the literature. From Robert Bork's Slouching Towards Gomorrah to Wendy Shalit's A Return to Modesty: Discovering the Lost Virtue, there is a definite collective voice that will be heard. Palacios just happens to be a meeker element of that collective, but no less important.

The article never notes Ms. Palacios' religion. However, hailing from El Salvador, there is a reasonable likelihood that she is Christian. But for Muslims, religion should not be an issue with regard to the principles behind Palacios' proposed legislation. Issues such as these transcend religious, racial and ethnic divides. And this issue in particular speaks to the strong connection Muslims in America can have with like-minded people of strong religious and moral fiber.

Ali Asadullah is the Editor of iviews.com