Sharia law in the United States?

The idea sounds preposterous if not incredible in the country considered as the world's bastion of democracy.

However, there are indications that not all Americans are against this harsh system of justice practiced in the Islamic world. For instance, a new video was posted on YouTube recently showing a Florida college professor promoting the benefits of Sharia law, according to CBN News.

The United West, a Sharia watchdog organisation, filmed a panel discussing Islamaphobia in front of an audience at Florida Atlantic University on May 23.

The video shows Dr. Bassem Al-Halabi, a computer science and engineering professor at the university, describing Sharia law as the best way to stop organised crime. For instance, he claims that cutting off the hands of a thief, one of the punishments sanctioned under Sharia law, is an effective way to stop stealing.

"It sounds very severe—it sounds very barbaric I know," Al-Halabi says. "But if it takes one or two people to have their hands cut off and then there's no more stealing in the whole nation that's a much better resolution than having hundreds of people die every day."

The video shows the audience erupting in protest, prompting a panelist sitting next to Al-Halabi to say that the professor was referring to Shariah law practiced overseas and not in America.

However, this appears to have done little to appease the audience since Al-Halabi himself moments earlier had assured the audience that Sharia law is already being practiced in some parts of the U.S. He even mentioned the Islamic Center of Boca Raton in Florida as one of the Islamic centres practicing Sharia law.

Another panelist, Rabbi Barry Silver, then speaks up to denounce Al-Halabi's statement.

"When we believe on faith in the absence of evidence, we can get lost," Silver says. "You can actually have someone sitting here rationalising cutting off hands."

Al-Halabi also supports blasphemy laws which outlaw the criticism of Islam.

Sharia law is cast from the actions and words of the Islamic prophet Muhammad, which are called "Sunnah," and the Quran, which he authored.

The law cannot be altered, but its interpretation, called "figh" by imams, is given some leeway, according to billionbibles.org.

Sharia law covers a wide spectrum of topics, including both public and private behavior and private beliefs. Of all legal systems in the world today, Islam's Sharia law is considered as the most intrusive and strict, especially against women.

Under the Sharia law, theft is punishable by amputation of the right hand. The punishment of death is imposed on people found guilty of criticising or denying any part of the Quran, criticising or denying Muhammad is a prophet, and criticising or denying Allah.

Death is also meted on a Muslim who becomes a non-Muslim, a non-Muslim who leads a Muslim away from Islam, and a non-Muslim man who marries a Muslim woman, also according to billionbibles.org.