HR 82: affirming the supremacy of the united states constitution and the constitution of the state of hawaii over sharia law.

HOUSE RESOLUTION

affirming the supremacy of the united states constitution and the constitution of the state of hawaii over sharia law.

     WHEREAS, Article VI, Clause 2 of the United States Constitution provides that the Constitution is "the supreme Law of the Land"; and

     WHEREAS, the preamble of the Constitution of the State of Hawaii "reaffirm[s] [the] belief in a government of the people, by the people and for the people, and with an understanding and compassionate heart toward all the peoples of the earth"; and

     WHEREAS, not all nations recognize the individual rights and religious freedom that America is known for; and

     WHEREAS, sharia is the collection of conduct and duties required as part of Islam based on the Quran and Sunna, which has influenced the legal structure of Islamic law in many Muslim-majority nations; and

     WHEREAS, according to the Council on Foreign Relations, about half the world's Muslim-majority countries have sharia-based laws; and

     WHEREAS, sharia law is inconsistent with both state and federal law as it relates to corporal punishment, religious tolerance, democratic ideals, women's rights, and discrimination; and

     WHEREAS, according to data from 2020, Muslim-majority countries such as Mauritania, Saudi Arabia, Iran, Afghanistan, and Pakistan punish blasphemy by capital punishment; and

     WHEREAS, some nations operating under Islamic law restrict the autonomy women have over clothing, travel, education, marriage, and employment; and

     WHEREAS, federal constitutional protections have been in place for centuries, but the underlying principles must be continually reaffirmed; now, therefore,

     BE IT RESOLVED by the House of Representatives of the Thirty-third Legislature of the State of Hawaii, Regular Session of 2026, the Hawaii State Legislature affirms the supremacy of the United States Constitution and the Constitution of the State of Hawaii over sharia law; and

     BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED the Hawaii State Legislature explicitly rejects the recognition, use, or enforcement of sharia law within Hawaii's courts or government; and

     BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that certified copies of this Resolution be transmitted to the Governor and Chief Justice of the Hawaii State Supreme Court.

Report Title: 

Religious Freedom; Sharia Law; Constitutional Law; Protections