It seems lately that disarray, despair and discord bursts into certain countries, including my own (The United States of America), at the hand of radical Islam. Many people now wonder: Why does this keep happening? Well, a quick examination might show that the countries primarily targeted are Western countries. Recent examples include the tragic Orlando shooting in the United States and the devastating attack in Nice, France. So the question should be: Why does Islam seem to target Western Culture?

The answer lies in the Islamic concept of Shariah Law.

What is Shariah Law? Shariah Law is the foundation of all Islamic Law. It is created by the words and actions of Muhammad, which are compiled into the Quran and the "Sunnah." It not only provides laws for those under Islam to follow publicly, but also privately such as personal beliefs and domestic life. This causes a rift between Islam, specifically radical Islam, and Western law. Shariah law with the Constitution and Western law as a whole cannot coexist.

Reasons for this coexistence being impossible follow:

Shariah does prescribe harsh punishments for all kinds of issues. Though some of these punishments have been taken out of context and require large amounts of evidence to be carried, they still exist and are still acted upon. Some of these punishments include: theft punishable by amputation of the hand, a man can beat his wife for insubordination, a Muslim who becomes a non-Muslim punishable by death, non-Muslim men and Muslim women forming relationships punishable by death, criticizing Muhammad or any part of the Quran punishable by death and many more. These punishments can be seen as honor killings, which are acts of violence taken out against women and girls justified by Shariah law. The United Nations Entity for Gender Equality and the Empowerment of Women has a large effort focused in understanding and fighting honor killings.

"Additionally, using this term masks political, social and economic motivations that may contribute to 'honour'-related violence. Nevertheless, drafters are urged to use the term 'honour' when describing these crimes against women and girls. Using the term 'honour,' as opposed to a more ambiguous or restrictive term such as “custom” or 'tradition,' will properly identify 'honour' crimes as such and prevent loopholes that allow perpetrators to escape accountability."

Some of these honor killings have been followed out in the United States and other Western countries. 20-year-old Noor al-Maleki died by her own father's decision in October 2009 in Phoenix, Arizona. He drove his Jeep over her, shattering her body beneath its wheels because she refused to take part in a forced marriage.In Dallas, Texas a taxi driver shot his 17 and 18-year-old daughters 11 times in the back seat of his car without them expecting it because they were trying to go out and have a nice time dating American boys. Fauzia Mohammad was stabbed (this link provides other honor killings that have occurred in other Western countries, like Canada) 11 times by her own brother because of “immodest clothing.” For the most part, these incidents are prosecuted and the perpetrators are held accountable. However, that is not sufficient as the more Islam moves to the West the more this will occur. Honor killings are rooted deep in Islamic law. Honor killings are pardoned in heavily Islamic influenced countries, and other efforts to make the punishment for honor killings more severe have faded away. Ayaan Hirsi Ali has founded an organization dealing with honor killings in America, the AHA Foundation, and wrote in her article for The Atlantic:

"Let’s leave aside the question of whether or not such violence is more common in some immigrant communities than in others. Let’s leave aside the whole vexed question of religion or culture. For now, let’s just get straight what is happening to girls in America.... I founded the AHA Foundation as a survivor of honor violence, including female genital mutilation and an “arranged” marriage. My motive for doing so was simple: to help girls in similar situations in the country where I have made my home. I quickly came to see that the biggest obstacle to providing effective assistance was the refusal of most Americans simply to accept that honor violence happens here at all." — Ayaan Hirsi Ali

Ali brings up an incredibly important point. However, we should also be addressing that this violence is stemming from a religion and culture when tackling these incidents with our understanding of basic, human rights. What is just, proper and humanistic under Western society is not the same as to what is just, proper, and humanistic under Shariah Law. This also leads to two more major factors that cause the coexistence of conservative Islam and the West to be impossible.

Women are not human beings under Shariah Law. To be more specific, women are half a human being under Shariah law. Here is a woman's status according to Muhammad himself:

"Narrated Abu Said Al-Khudri: The Prophet said, 'Isn’t the witness of a women equal to half that of a man?' The women said 'yes'. He said 'This is because of the deficiency of the women’s mind'" (Sahih Bukhari 3:48:82).

Shariah law also calls for the female genital mutilation Ali speaks about. To be specific, it involves cutting off a girl's clitoris and labia. This reduces the sexual desire for the woman and will preserve her chastity. The World Health Organization estimates that this has occurred for around 140 million girls. Muslims believe this procedure is mandated by Islamic law, whether the female involved agrees or does not agree.To summarize, women are to be subservient to their husbands. They must ask permission for everything from leaving the house to how they want to worship. You can learn more about women's rights under shariah law here. This approach to women's rights and their status conflicts with a Western one's immensely. Throughout the course of Western civilization, there have been mass movements for women to achieve a status equal to men. Today, though some cases of inequality still occur, women in Western society are allowed to experience equality to men. Shariah law exists to suppress the rights women in the West know, and they are the same rights women under Shariah law wish they could have. All these points lead to me conclusion about Islam under Shariah law.

Islam under Shariah law is not a peaceful religion. Islam is a religion rooted in conquest and war. Muslims had various conquests throughout the ancient Middle East in the name of Islam. Muhammad even calls for Muslisms to conquer lands that are not influenced by Islam:

"9:29 Fight [q-t-l] those among the people of the Book [Christians] who do not believe in Allah and the Last Day, do not forbid what Allah and His Messenger have forbidden and do not profess the true religion, till they pay the poll-tax out of hand and submissively." (Fakhry)

This calling leads us to the Islamic concept of jihad. Jihad is defined as, "a war fought by Muslims to defend or spread their beliefs." For spreading their beliefs in this violent manner, jihadist receive benefits such as: property can be confiscated, it can be waged to collect spoils, and the promise of "virgin-rich" gardens for martyrs in jihad:

"61:10 You who believe, shall I show you a bargain that will save you from painful punishment? ... and He will forgive your sins, admit you into Gardens graced with flowing streams, into pleasant dwellings in the Gardens of Eternity. That is the supreme triumph." (Haleem)

Islam's evangelical practices still remain aggressive in nature for some. The call for more conservative Islam perpetuates the use of violence and a call for conquest among Muslims, and they believe the actions to be justified by higher power. However, this does not mean Islam cannot exist in the West at all.

I am not saying Islam cannot exist in the West at all, but I am saying Islam under Shariah law cannot exist in the West. Shariah law is a highly conservative form of Islam. However, what we are experiencing right now is a large, increasing call for Shariah law to be integrated back into Islamic societies. Islam under Shariah is perceived as a more pure form of Islam to Muslims. This causes many Western ideals and beliefs to be seen as an opposition to Islamic societies under Shariah. Islam could potentially exist in the West as long as Shariah law wasn't a demand. Shariah law conflicts with Western laws, the U.S Constitution and the ideas and rights other Western countries operate under. Unless Shariah is somehow renounced, unless the demand goes down and unless conservative, radical Islam can begin to operate with more progression, we will continue to experience the aggression and violence the media continues to sensationalize from radical Islam.

What do you think about Islam, Shariah law and it integrating into the West? Let me know in the comments below!