LANSING — House Bill 4769, which was introduced by Michigan State Rep. Dave Agema (R-Grandville) and prohibits “foreign law” from being used in Michigan courts or administrative agencies, is still pending according to a representative from Agema’s office.

According to Mark Kasvin of the office, the bill, which was co-sponsored by more than 40 Republicans, has been referred to the  House Judiciary Committee, which is chaired by Representative John Walsh (R-Livonia). Rep. Walsh currently has the decision as to whether or not to take up the bill; should he decide to do so, testimonies would then need to be presented. 

Agema’s bill has been opposed by many in the southeast Michigan community in particular, including local politicians such as state reps Harvey Santana (D-Detroit) and Rashida Tlaib (D-Detroit), along the ACLU of Michigan.

Opponents say the bill is subtly discriminatory against Muslims and could potentially have broad-ranging implications affecting others’ religious practices including Jews and Catholics, depending on its interpretation. They have also reiterated that the U.S. Constitution is compatible with religious practices. Others have compared the phenomenon to irrational former fears that Catholic Canon Law would someday take over the U.S. legal system.   

Last Tuesday at the Michigan State Capitol in Lansing, Agema brought in speaker Kamal Saleem, a former “ex-Islamic terrorist,” to speak on the alleged dangers of illegal immigration. 

Saleem spoke and testified before the House Commerce Committee in support of another piece of legislation also introduced by Agema that would require contractors to use the federal E-Verify system to identify a person’s immigration status. The bill, which has been roundly criticized by immigrants rights groups and advocates, has subsequently been tabled. 

According to a report in the Michigan Messenger, Saleem has previously appeared with another “ex-terrorist,” Walid Shoebat, who was recently the subject of a CNN investigation that raised serious questions about the authenticity of Shoebat’s claims.

Saleem, who says he is a former Muslim who once brought weapons into America through Windsor, has had his stories called into question as well.

Mikey Weinstein, the head of the watchdog group The Military Religious Freedom Foundation, said he found through research that Saleem (along with Shoebat and another speaker) is as much a former Islamic terrorist as “Star Trek’s Capt. James T. Kirk was a real Starship captain.” 

According to the Messenger article, Calvin College professor Douglas Howard said that he concluded Saleem is a “fraud” after researching whether or not his Department of Middle East history should co-sponsor an event featuring Saleem at the college. 

More than 20 other states have proposed bills similar to Agema’s despite criticisms of the bills being unnecessary and discriminatory.