THAT is close. However, you can't just pronounce it not "legitimate religion", you would have make the bigger point that it is also a political system with its Sharia Law dictates. The keyword is "Law".
That's what our pundits should be talking about. Since it operates entirely outside of our Constitutional Law and U.S. Code, it is inherently illegal and its objectives are obviously to replace our system of government. That would not be a problem to espouse if the politicians just left out the word religion. Sharia Law advocates are plain ole insurrectionists, and every Mosque has its Immans promoting such. We have laws to arrest anyone who incites insurrection.
The U.S. Code speaks directly to any attempt to replace/overthrow our system and Sharia Law does so blatantly. There-in lies the political power against the muslim cult. Guess our politicians are too stupid or gun-shy to bring it up. But it's a game winner if anyone were to phrase it correctly. I'll try later...or you posters can give it whirl...
US Code, Title 18, Chapter 2385. Advocating Over throw of Government: "Whoever knowingly or willfully advocates, abets, advises, or teaches the duty, necessity, desirability, or propriety of overthrowing or destroying the government of the United States or the government of any State, Territory, District or Possession thereof, or the government of any political subdivision therein, by force or violence, or by the assassination of any officer of any such government; or
Whoever, with intent to cause the overthrow or destruction of any such government, prints, publishes, edits, issues, circulates, sells, distributes, or publicly displays any written or printed matter advocating, advising, or teaching the duty, necessity, desirability, or propriety of overthrowing or destroying any government in the United States by force or violence, or attempts to do so; or
Whoever organizes or helps or attempts to organize any society, group, or assembly of persons who teach, advocate, or encourage the overthrow or destruction of any such government by force or violence; or becomes or is a member of, or affiliates with, any such society, group, or assembly of persons, knowing the purposes thereof—
Shall be fined under this title or imprisoned not more than twenty years, or both, and shall be ineligible for employment by the United States or any department or agency thereof, for the five years next following his conviction.
If two or more persons conspire to commit any offense named in this section, each shall be fined under this title or imprisoned not more than twenty years, or both, and shall be ineligible for employment by the United States or any department or agency thereof, for the five years next following his conviction.
As used in this section, the terms "organizes" and "organize", with respect to any society, group, or assembly of persons, include the recruiting of new members, the forming of new units, and the regrouping or expansion of existing clubs, classes, and other units of such society, group, or assembly of persons."
Looks pretty clear to me that just under these two chapters, many Immans who are preaching Sharia Law in their mosques are breaking Federal Law.
Now I get why the FBI is able to catch and prosecute these American citizens who are heading to join the jihadists in the ME. Now, they need to infiltrate the Mosques and catch the Immans while preaching such. They are the head of the snake.
I agree that the intertwined legalism of Islam is part of it. I also think the case should be made that any ideology or philosophy with a core doctrine embracing murder and war as a means to its ends is not religious in nature. Hate and violence are not spiritual values they are anti-spiritual when promoted as a path.