This story was originally published by the WND News Center.

Shariah law, religious statutes followed by Muslims, is becoming more widely known as adherents to Islam grow in influence around the world.

But being more widely known doesn't lessen the oddities it contains.

For example, an online definition notes it calls for atrocities including amputation of a thief's hands, killing people for criticizing the Quran, killing people who deny Muhammad was a prophet, killing people who lead a Muslim away from Islam, killing a non-Muslim man who marries a Muslim woman, killing homosexuals (although sodomizing young boys is allowed), and "taqiyya" or lying to non-Muslims, is encouraged.

But now a report at Revolver criticizes news agency CNN for using and citing Shariah to try to get out of a defamation complaint.

The leftist network's arguments appear to be that its description of a man helping people leave Afghanistan after Joe Biden abruptly pulled American troops out and abandoned the entire territory to the terrorists in the Taliban as a criminal was accurate.

Because he was a "criminal" under Shariah law.

The Revolver report explained, "They're actually legitimizing (and defending) Sharia Law, which routinely abuses women, sometimes to death, in an effort to try and win that billion-dollar lawsuit. In the process, they're also branding the Navy Vet at the center of the defamation suit a 'criminal' for trying to save women's lives."

Please be aware of multiple instances of offensive language in the following:

CNN's legal arguments include that a Navy vet, who tried to help people escape Afghanistan at that time, carried out "activities he orchestrated and funded, which involved moving women out of Afghanistan, almost certainly were illegal under Taliban rule."

The response comes to a lawsuit from Zachary Young. A court recently ruled that a jury in the case would be allowed to consider punitive damages.

CNN claims it was right to suggest a criminality in Young's behavior because, "To get women out, the operators on the ground were required either to break the law directly or to find someone to break the law for them."

The report accuses CNN of trying "to weasel their way out of a $1 billion defamation suit against them."

The case developed when Young decided to help people escape Afghanistan.

Just recently, a Florida appellate court affirmed that Young, a U.S. Navy veteran, and his company, Nemex Enterprises Inc., could seek punitive damages from CNN.

The report said Young's lawyer charged that Young lost $40-60 million in economic opportunity.

At Headline USA a report said the lawsuit charges that CNN "destroyed Young's reputation and business after the network's correspondent Alex Marquardt published the report about Young."