Think our country is tough on drugs? Check out this report from the Jerusalem Post:

The Saudi Interior Ministry says authorities have beheaded two Nigerian men convicted of drug trafficking.

The two Nigerians, identified as Mohammed Qodous and Idris Abdul-Ghani, were convicted of swallowing sachets of cocaine to smuggle it into the kingdom.

The Interior Ministry says Sunday’s beheadings took place in the Red Sea coastal city of Jiddah.

Saudi Arabia follows a strict interpretation of Islam under which those convicted of murder, drug trafficking, rape or armed robbery are executed in public with a sword. Forty-two people have been beheaded this year, according to an Associated Press count. Saudi Arabia beheaded 137 people last year, a number that was sharply up from 38 executed in 2006.

I’m not going to use this space to argue either for or against the United States’ “war on drugs” — you can decide that for yourself — but I do want to emphasize the importance of condemning the irrational, faith-based legal system of Saudi Arabia, commonly referred to as “Sharia.”

In Saudi Arabia, hands and feet are cut off for stealing (here); female rape victims are physically punished for being alone with an unrelated man (here); and homosexual men are lashed (here), or worse — killed (here).

I can foresee your argument — that’s their culture, leave them alone. Agreed: I think we’ve learned a thing or two recently about imposing Western morality on Islamic-based cultures.

But the bad news is with the spread of Muslims across the globe comes the spread of sympathy for Sharia law. I’m not saying all Muslims approve of full, strict Sharia law, but check out this statistic from the BBC:

In an ICM survey of 500 British Muslims carried out in February 2006, 40% of respondents said they would support the introduction of Sharia in predominantly Muslim areas of Britain.

If you’re leery of surveys — good for you, me too. But it can be safely deduced that at least some English Muslims, perhaps not 40%, would like to see Sharia in England — not good.

This problem does not have immediate consequences — in other words, there are no countries in the Western world susceptible to an overnight Muslim coup d’état and corollary installation of Sharia law. (So don’t call me an “alarmist” or some sort of closeted “highly phobic” person.)

But if left unchecked — for fear of “offending” a foreign culture — the problem could snowball, and make for a very dangerous world for your grandkid’s grandkids.

Stand up for Western morality, stand up for human rights. If you fight (non-violently) on the side of reason, you have nothing to be worried about.