Alabama Senate candidate says there's 'Sharia law' in parts of Indiana. There isn't.

Roy Moore, former Alabama chief justice, is running for the Republican nomination for Senate in Alabama. On Tuesday, he came in first in the primary, though he still faces a runoff challenge against fellow Republican Luther Strange.

So why are you reading about this from IndyStar? In an interview with Vox's Jeff Stein, Moore claimed that parts of Indiana are subject to "Sharia law." When pressed on where, Moore said, "Well, there’s Sharia law, as I understand it, in Illinois, Indiana — up there. I don't know."

When Stein asked again for more information, Moore said that he had been told some communities were under Sharia law. "Well, let me just put it this way — if they are, they are; if they’re not, they’re not," Moore said. "That doesn’t matter."

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While Moore, who did not return a request for comment, did not precisely define Sharia law, here's how he describes it in the interview: "Sharia law incorporates Muslim law into the law. That’s not what we do. We do not punish people according to the Christian precepts of our faith — so there’s a difference."

Azhar Azeez, president of the Plainfield-based Islamic Society of North America, says of Moore's claims, "Politicians and right-wing groups are misquoting and saying Sharia is creeping all over the country. It’s such a blatant lie."

Sharia, Azeez said, is a personal, private belief that governs individuals. Contrary to Moore's claims, Azeez said Sharia is not incorporated into civic laws of cities, states or the federal government in the U.S.

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"This is no different from our Jewish brothers and sisters, our Catholic brothers and sisters, our Protestant brothers and sisters, our Hindu brothers and sisters, when it comes to their personal and family religious laws," Azeez said. "Sharia is not about influencing another person. The Quran is very clear there is no compulsion in religion."

Sharia, Azeez explained, governs religious traditions, such as births, funerals, marriages, praying five times a day and so on.

"This is not something that is contradicting what our Constitution stands for or what the law of the land stands for," Azeez said. "These individuals who are using Sharia for their own political gain, they are just trying to mislead people. They are just trying to misrepresent this peaceful religion of Islam with a dark brush."

At the end of 2016, Indiana Sen. Travis Holdman, R-Markle, proposed a bill that would forbid judges from using foreign law to impose an unconstitutional restriction on a person. While the bill did not explicitly mention Sharia, Holdman was clear that the bill sprang from concerns about Islamic law.

"As constituents have raised concerns with me, they are concerned about such things as Sharia law being used as a legal standard in our courts," he told IndyStar.

The bill died in the 2017 session, but nine other states have enacted similar legislation. Advocates for these bills cite a 2009 New Jersey case in which a judge did not grant a protective order to an abused woman because her husband was following Muslim beliefs. That decision was overturned on appeal and was roundly criticized by legal scholars.

For those who still have questions about Sharia law, Azeez has simple advice. "I would strongly recommend you go to your local mosque. Reach out to a Muslim neighbor and ask them directly and you will get a response. A very in-depth, very detailed, very satisfying response."

Madeline Buckley contributed to this story. Follow Allison Carter on Twitter @AllisonLCarter.