It doesn't help to broad-brush "liberals" as having a single mindset with regards to these issues. I consider myself extremely liberal, but I and most liberals I know (actual people, not the ones that get all the attention) struggle with where to draw the line and often disagree with each other.

I certainly am against Sharia law being allowed in the U.S., because I believe in the rule of law and living in the U.S. means being protected by its laws, not some other set of laws. I'd be just as against it if some group were coming in here trying to get permission to live by Amsterdam's laws.

The burka - when worn in the U.S. - also bothers me. Not because it is a symbol of Islam (I don't even know if it is), but because it represents severe inequality being introduced into a country in which everyone is supposed to have equal protection. You know that if some of these women stopped wearing the burka, they'd be punished or worse. Yes they are choosing to wear it, but the reality is that some of them are being denied choice, living under an intimidation they can't easily escape and dare not admit publicly. By American standards, that isn't fair. We probably can't ban them outright, but they could be banned in areas where security is a potential concern, such as airports, government buildings, schools, etc., because of the inability to reasonably confirm the identity of someone wearing it. Religious freedom isn't absolute.

This isn't about liberals versus conservatives - it's about trying to reason through where to draw the lines. It's why I hate extreme media on both sides, because they squelch discussion and problem-solving rather than facilitating it, by propping up ridiculous straw men and convincing their viewers that is what the other side believes. The vast majority of real people fall closer to the middle, and if the FOX's and MSNBC's weren't fanning the flames, we'd probably be making a lot more progress and our government might not be at gridlock.