MSNBC's Matthews likens Romney-Ryan abortion platform to 'Shariah' law

FILE: April 26, 2011: NBC host Chris Matthews at the 2011 Time 100 Gala ceremony in New York. (REUTERS)

MSNBC host Chris Matthews suggested that Mitt Romney and Paul Ryan if elected would run the country according to a “religious theory” -- likening their pro-life stance to "Shariah."

Matthew made the remarks during his preview to the Tuesday night presidential debate in which he also suggested the Republican presidential ticket would give a just-fertilized egg the 14th Amendment rights of life, liberty and property.

“Whatever that means,” Matthews continued, as reported first by the website NewsBusters. “An egg that had just been fertilized, right after sex, if you will.”

“And to have that notion that that would be a person under this personhood thing that Ryan’s pushing, and under the 14th Amendment rights, the platform that Romney’s running on. This is extremism. I say (to the) center right tonight -- it's almost like Shariah."

Matthew also suggested Romney and Ryan were telling Americans that they would “operate under a religious theory, under a religious belief. We're going to run our country this way, to the point of making a woman's decision to have an abortion, her reproductive rights, as criminal, perhaps murderous.”

MSNBC has not responded to a request for comment.