DOES BARACK OBAMA AGREE WITH AND FOLLOW SHARIA LAW
Executive summary
No credible reporting shows Barack Obama supports or follows Sharia law; mainstream fact‑checks and reporting say claims he would impose Islamic law in U.S. courts are unfounded (PolitiFact) [1]. Polling shows a substantial share of Republicans historically suspected Obama might favor imposing Islamic law, but that reflects partisan belief, not evidence of Obama acting to enforce Sharia (Newsweek/TalkingPointsMemo) [2].
1. The core allegation and how fact‑checkers treated it
Claims that Obama would “force” U.S. courts to accept Sharia law were investigated and rated unsupported; PolitiFact found the ad campaign’s central evidence relied on tenuous links (Harvard interest in Islamic legal studies, isolated court references) and no action by the Obama administration to impose Sharia on domestic courts [1].
2. What “Sharia” means in practice and how U.S. law interacts with foreign law
Journalists and legal scholars note that most references to “Sharia” in U.S. debates involve family‑law or arbitration matters where parties voluntarily invoke religious rules; courts occasionally consider foreign or religious law only when parties request it and when it does not violate constitutional guarantees (Brookings notes that Muslim Americans generally see Sharia as personal guidance and that American law supersedes any religious code) [3]. PolitiFact observed that a Kansas divorce case and other isolated matters were misused as proof of a broad Obama‑led push — the cases did not demonstrate federal imposition of Sharia [1].
3. Why the myth persisted: partisan fears and polling
Polling captured a pervasive partisan perception: a Newsweek‑reported poll found many Republicans believed Obama probably or definitely wanted to impose Islamic law—38% “probably true” among Republicans in that survey—reflecting political anxiety rather than documentary evidence [2]. This persistent suspicion fueled ads and commentary despite fact‑checks rebutting the claims [1].
4. Political uses of “Sharia” rhetoric beyond Obama
The “Sharia” talking point resurfaces across political moments and actors. Recent headlines and legislation show politicians framing new bills to ban or restrict Sharia references and Republicans campaigning on fears of Islamic law, demonstrating the phrase’s utility as a political wedge, not as proof of actual legal change driven by Obama (Congress.gov summary of H.R.5722 and Newsweek coverage of modern Republican legislation) [4] [5]. Media commentary also documents recurrent right‑wing fixation on the threat of Sharia in American life (MSNBC/Rachel Maddow summary) [6].
5. Obama’s public posture toward Muslim Americans and law
Obama publicly affirmed that Muslim Americans are “a valued part of the American family” and repeatedly stressed the obligation to “abide by the law,” underscoring that his administration framed religious practice as compatible with U.S. law, not as a competing legal system to be imposed on the country (White House archive, Eid reception remarks) [7]. The administration also took military and counterterrorism actions against groups that sought to impose extremist interpretations of Sharia—e.g., authorizing force against ISIS—showing policy opposed to violent, theocratic imposition overseas (PBS on 2015 authorization) [8].
6. Limitations of available reporting and unanswered specifics
Available sources do not mention any authenticated document, directive, or action by Obama that sought to make U.S. courts accept Sharia as binding national law beyond the ordinary ways courts handle foreign or religious arbitration when parties agree. There is no citation in the provided materials showing Obama personally following or practicing Sharia law in a way that changed U.S. policy [1] [7].
7. Competing interpretations and implicit agendas
Two competing threads run through the record: fact‑checkers and mainstream sources treat the “Obama will impose Sharia” line as baseless (PolitiFact) [1]; partisan actors and some commentators revived or sustained the claim as a political weapon, reflecting anti‑Muslim sentiment and electoral strategy rather than empirical legal change (polling and later Republican bills show political use) [2] [5]. Readers should note the implicit agenda: invoking “Sharia” often serves to stoke fear and mobilize voters rather than to document a concrete legal threat.
8. Bottom line for readers
There is no substantiated evidence in the cited reporting that Barack Obama agreed with, followed, or sought to impose Sharia law in the United States; persistent claims come from partisan fear, selective citation of isolated court matters, and political campaigns that use “Sharia” as a rhetorical cudgel [1] [2] [5].