US Congressman Barry Moore has introduced a controversial bill that would require immigrants entering the United States as religious workers to reject Sharia law and swear loyalty to the American Constitution.
The proposed legislation, known as the “CRUSADE Act,” was announced by Barry Moore in a statement posted on X on Wednesday.
The lawmaker argued that certain religious doctrines conflict with the constitutional principles of the United States.
According to Moore, the bill is targeted at individuals seeking entry into America under religious worker immigration programmes. He said such applicants must publicly disavow Sharia law before they can be admitted into the country.
“Sharia law justifies the persecution of religious minorities, restrictions on women, and the elevation of religious law above all. This is why I introduced the CRUSADE Act,” Moore wrote.
“Immigrants entering our nation as religious workers should disavow sharia and uphold the Constitution,” he added.
The proposal has already sparked heated debate across the United States, especially among civil rights advocates, immigration groups and religious organisations. Critics argue that the bill could face constitutional challenges because the US Constitution protects freedom of religion under the First Amendment.
Sharia law, derived from Islamic teachings and principles, is practised in different forms across several Muslim-majority nations and communities around the world. In Nigeria, some northern states operate Sharia legal systems alongside conventional courts.
