AUSTIN (Nexstar) — Could recent U.S. Supreme Court decisions interfere with religious rights?
On Monday morning, the High Court ruled that teachers are allowed to lead prayers with students. The ruling stemmed from a case involving a Christian coach in Washington state who prays with his players after games.
This raises concerns about how this will impact non-dominant faiths like Islam.
“We do believe that there is a moral compass and that there is a religious background, but that’s for each individual person to decide what they will implement in their lives,” Mossad said. “It’s definitely a dangerous and slippery slope, in terms of excluding people of the Muslim faith or of Jewish faith or have Buddhist or Hindu faith.”
Kids played throughout the North Austin Muslim Community Center on Monday — seemingly without a care during summer camp. However, Imam Islam Mossad knows decisions being made outside the mosque will affect them.
Another ruling that’s caused the most controversy is Roe v. Wade being overturned. In the Islam faith, Mossad said — under certain circumstances — abortions are accepted as long as it’s within 120 days of conception. This contradicts what’s soon to become Texas law that will ban most abortions.
“It’s not against Islam,” Mossad said. “But at the same time, putting it back into the states [control], we know it has made it politicized, as opposed to a moral decision.”
The Texas Women’s Health Democratic Caucus is calling for more accountability.
“I think what’s really difficult is that we’re looking at one segment of one religious faith tradition, making decisions and policies for everybody else, regardless of their religious beliefs, and opinions,” State Rep. Donna Howard said.
The lines between state and religion are becoming somewhat blurry. This leaves faith leaders keeping close eye on policies.
“As long as we are not forced to do something against our religion, then obviously we will abide by the law of the land,” Mossad said.
A group of Texas abortion providers sued the state on Monday to temporarily block the state’s pre-Roe v. Wade laws on the books. Within hours of the Supreme Court’s decision on Friday, Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton indicated those 1920s-era statutes could be enforced because they were never repealed by the Texas legislature.
More than half a dozen providers have a hearing in Harris County district court on Tuesday morning, trying to prevent those prosecutions.
Texas’ so-called trigger law will still ban the majority of abortions, but it won’t take effect for approximately two months or so.
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