CBN News
Voters in Kenya stood in long lines Wednesday to decide on a new constitution, even as religious leaders fear the document will take the country down a dangerous path.
Some Kenyans waited as many as five hours to cast their votes on the proposed new constitution which sets up an American-style presidential system.
The constitution drastically reduces the current powers of Kenya's president. It also includes controversial provisions on abortion and Sharia law, one reason why Christians are encouraging citizens to vote "No."
Under current law, abortion is allowed only when a mothers life is in danger. But religious leaders fear the new language in the document will allow abortion on demand.
The Obama administration and other leaders are encouraging Kenyans to approve the constitution. Rep. Smith was outraged to learn that more than $23 million in U.S. aid was sent to Kenya to promote "yes" votes.
"This is an administration that is very aggressive in promoting the killing of unborn children and the wounding of their mothers by way of abortion worldwide," Rep. Chris Smith, R-N.J., said.
He said donations labeled as "civic education" were used to register tens of thousands of voters and to provide transportation to the polls to create an "overrepresentation" of the "yes" vote.
The constitution also allows Muslims to set up Sharia courts called "Khadi" - courts that will handle domestic issues like divorce, custody, and inheritance.
"The thought of the United States taxpayer paying money for Sharia courts in Kenya is unbelievable," Rep. Frank Wolf, R-Va, said.
The new constitution protects Kenyans from discrimination based on race, gender, or religion. But it allows those rights to be limited to the extent necessary in Islamic courts.
Some fear that puts Muslim women at risk.
"You had the Islamic community actually threatening, that says, 'If we don't get the Khadi court system in the constitution, we'll break off from Kenya.' So there is a separatist movement being threatened on the proposed constitution," Jordan Sekulow, an attorney with the American Center for Law and Justice, said.
Kenya's last national election erupted in deadly violence that left more than a 1,000 people dead. Supporters and opponents of the constitution have urged peace after the vote. To increase transparency, votes will be tallied on live television.
There's only one question on the ballot in Kenya: whether or not to replace the country's old constitution with a new one.
Showing posts with label Constitution. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Constitution. Show all posts
Thursday, August 5, 2010
Kenya's Christian churches against Islamic Sharia
CNN
Voters in Kenya are due to decide Wednesday whether the new constitution goes through. It's designed to reduce political tensions in a country where the last national vote led to violence that left more than 1,000 people dead.
But the wholesale rewriting of the country's constitution has opened up a can of worms, according to the country's Christian churches.
Kenyans vote on new constitution
"We believe the constitution doesn't meet religious, moral, economic and justice concerns," said Oliver Kisaka, a top official with the National Council of Churches of Kenya.
"It privileges one religion over another. It allows abortion on demand. It has strong socialist tendencies," he said, also objecting to the provision for international law to take precedence over Kenyan law.
Kenya's Catholic bishops put it more bluntly, putting out a full-color leaflet with a red traffic light over the words "Stop!!! Think.... Choose life."
Why Kenya's referendum is important
The Anglicans issued a measured statement, but the message was equally clear: "We say NO to the proposed constitution as it is" unless it's amended to answer their concerns about "justice and equality for all religions, the limitation of fundamental rights based on religion, the protection of the right to life and the supremacy of our constitution in the light of International conventions and treaties."
The draft constitution defines life as beginning as conception and outlaws abortion, but includes exceptions for "emergency treatment, or the life or health of the mother is in danger, or if permitted by any other written law."
Opposition from the churches in Kenya is potentially a big deal.
"Kenya is an overwhelmingly Christian nation," said Greg Smith, of the Pew Forum on Religion & Public Life in Washington, D.C.
Some 88 percent of Kenyans identify themselves as Christian, he said.
And they're not casual about religion either, he said.
"Among Kenyan Christians, 86 percent said religion is very important in their lives," compared to about six in 10 Americans who say that, he said.
"About eight in 10 say they attend religious services at least once a week. A similar number say they pray every day," he said.
The Pew Forum recently published a huge study of religion in Africa, the result of 25,000 interviews in 19 sub-Saharan countries.
"People that we interviewed in Africa tended to express high levels of religious commitment. We see the same high levels of religious commitment among Muslims," Smith said.
Kenya is about 7 percent Muslim, according to the Pew Forum.
Many Christians in Kenya object to the enshrining of Islamic courts as part of the country's legal system.
Known as kadhi courts, they would be an alternative to the civil courts "for matters such as law relating to personal status, marriage, divorce or inheritance in proceedings in which all the parties profess the Muslim religion and submit to the jurisdiction of the Kadhi's courts," according to the draft constitution.
Close to 40 countries use the kadhi court system, said Prof. Abdullahi Ahmed An-Na'im of Emory University. Kadhi is Arabic for "judge," he explained.
If they become law in Kenya, Muslims will use them even if they would prefer to go to civil courts, he predicted.
"In Kenya according to the proposal they do have a choice, but in reality it's not going to happen because of social pressure and stigma," he said. "If kadhi courts are available, Muslims will feel compelled to go to them no matter what they want."
About 50 countries have some provision for religious courts to act as an alternative to civil courts for matters of personal status, the Pew Forum says.
Most polls suggest that Kenya's constitution will pass, but political analysts believe that either outcome is possible.
Many of those supporting a "yes" vote -- which includes most of Kenya's political leadership -- are looking not just for a win, but a win by a large margin, so they can have a strong mandate to move forward with reforms.
A win by just a small margin could provide the "no" camp with a moral victory, allowing it to stall implementation of the constitution.
Voters in Kenya are due to decide Wednesday whether the new constitution goes through. It's designed to reduce political tensions in a country where the last national vote led to violence that left more than 1,000 people dead.
But the wholesale rewriting of the country's constitution has opened up a can of worms, according to the country's Christian churches.
Kenyans vote on new constitution
"We believe the constitution doesn't meet religious, moral, economic and justice concerns," said Oliver Kisaka, a top official with the National Council of Churches of Kenya.
"It privileges one religion over another. It allows abortion on demand. It has strong socialist tendencies," he said, also objecting to the provision for international law to take precedence over Kenyan law.
Kenya's Catholic bishops put it more bluntly, putting out a full-color leaflet with a red traffic light over the words "Stop!!! Think.... Choose life."
Why Kenya's referendum is important
The Anglicans issued a measured statement, but the message was equally clear: "We say NO to the proposed constitution as it is" unless it's amended to answer their concerns about "justice and equality for all religions, the limitation of fundamental rights based on religion, the protection of the right to life and the supremacy of our constitution in the light of International conventions and treaties."
The draft constitution defines life as beginning as conception and outlaws abortion, but includes exceptions for "emergency treatment, or the life or health of the mother is in danger, or if permitted by any other written law."
Opposition from the churches in Kenya is potentially a big deal.
"Kenya is an overwhelmingly Christian nation," said Greg Smith, of the Pew Forum on Religion & Public Life in Washington, D.C.
Some 88 percent of Kenyans identify themselves as Christian, he said.
And they're not casual about religion either, he said.
"Among Kenyan Christians, 86 percent said religion is very important in their lives," compared to about six in 10 Americans who say that, he said.
"About eight in 10 say they attend religious services at least once a week. A similar number say they pray every day," he said.
The Pew Forum recently published a huge study of religion in Africa, the result of 25,000 interviews in 19 sub-Saharan countries.
"People that we interviewed in Africa tended to express high levels of religious commitment. We see the same high levels of religious commitment among Muslims," Smith said.
Kenya is about 7 percent Muslim, according to the Pew Forum.
Many Christians in Kenya object to the enshrining of Islamic courts as part of the country's legal system.
Known as kadhi courts, they would be an alternative to the civil courts "for matters such as law relating to personal status, marriage, divorce or inheritance in proceedings in which all the parties profess the Muslim religion and submit to the jurisdiction of the Kadhi's courts," according to the draft constitution.
Close to 40 countries use the kadhi court system, said Prof. Abdullahi Ahmed An-Na'im of Emory University. Kadhi is Arabic for "judge," he explained.
If they become law in Kenya, Muslims will use them even if they would prefer to go to civil courts, he predicted.
"In Kenya according to the proposal they do have a choice, but in reality it's not going to happen because of social pressure and stigma," he said. "If kadhi courts are available, Muslims will feel compelled to go to them no matter what they want."
About 50 countries have some provision for religious courts to act as an alternative to civil courts for matters of personal status, the Pew Forum says.
Most polls suggest that Kenya's constitution will pass, but political analysts believe that either outcome is possible.
Many of those supporting a "yes" vote -- which includes most of Kenya's political leadership -- are looking not just for a win, but a win by a large margin, so they can have a strong mandate to move forward with reforms.
A win by just a small margin could provide the "no" camp with a moral victory, allowing it to stall implementation of the constitution.
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