Mat Staver is probably best known for being an attorney from the group Liberty Counsel who most famously defended the bigoted county clerk Kim Davis when she refused to issue marriage licenses to same-sex couples even though that’s her job and the Supreme Court legalized same-sex marriage.
But how Staver is making an outrageous claim about gays in the United States, saying that because businesses must serve all customers or be financially penalized by the courts, the situation in the United States is analogous to the jizya which is imposed on non-Muslims who live in Muslim nations under Islamic law. The jizya is a form of religious taxation.
Appearing on “Freedom’s Call,” a right-wing radio show, Staver explained his ridiculous claim this way:
“Deep in the Islamic tradition is jizya, a tax which forces non-Muslims to pay an exorbitant fee for living within a Muslim state. Now, from farmers in New York to those offering wedding cakes, photography and other services, all have been fined thousands, and sometimes more than a hundred thousand dollars for having and acting on a religious belief that is different from homosexuals who demand their services. These fees and fine are in essence a tax on Christians who are living out their faith and beliefs in the businesses that they labored for and have built. In America, we should not fear paying a tax or fee to Muslims, nor to homosexuals, just because our faith is different from theirs.””
The big difference, I would love to tell Mat, is that we have courts and laws in this country, and they are not based on the Bible, the Koran, or any other religious book. They are based on a Constitution. But considering how much Staver, Kim Davis, and their ilk hate homosexuals, I’m pretty sure they’d feel right at home living under Islamic rule where they could hate to their dark heart’s desire.
I’m more than willing to help pay for the shipping costs to send Staver and his fellow extremists to the land of ISIS if they so choose.
Featured Image Via YouTube
