CAIR Demands Texas Leaders Condemn Agriculture Commissioner's Latest Anti-Muslim Social Media Post
The Texas chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR-TX), a chapter of the nation’s largest Muslim civil rights and advocacy organization, today called on state leaders to repudiate a violent anti-Muslim social media post shared by Texas Agriculture Commissioner Sid Miller that depicts “Islam” as a snake squeezing a cowboy’s leg, with a knife labeled “solution” being used to kill it.
CAIR Texas demanded through their statement that Governor Greg Abbott, Lieutenant Governor Dan Patrick, and legislative leaders must take immediate action to separate themselves from Miller’s history of sharing content that advocacy groups identify as violent against Muslims.
The civil rights organization made this statement while Miller continues to face public attention because of his past social media activities, which included supporting nuclear strikes against Muslim nations and spreading baseless conspiracy theories about Texas Muslims.
Pattern of Inflammatory Rhetoric Spans Decade
Miller’s controversial social media history includes a 2015 Facebook post that appeared to advocate atomic bombing “the Muslim world,” comparing it to the nuclear attacks on Japan that ended World War II. According to The Texas Tribune, the post showed a mushroom cloud with text stating “Japan has been at peace with the US since August 9, 1945” and “It’s time we made peace with the Muslim world”.
Todd Smith, Miller’s campaign spokesman at the time, told POLITICO: “We thought the post was very thought-provoking and we’re not going to apologize for it”. The commissioner maintained that approximately 18 people had access to his Facebook account, and he would not investigate who posted the content.
In 2017, CAIR-Texas called on Miller to remove an Islamophobic message and apologize after he posted what Hawzah News Agency reported was “a fake story about US President Donald Trump removing a federal judge from the ‘22nd court of criminal appeals’ for trying to implement Sharia law in the United States”. The court referenced in the story did not exist.
Civil Rights Groups Document Escalating Concerns
According to CAIR-Austin Executive Director Maria Sheikh, who previously addressed Miller’s social media conduct: “As an elected official and a community leader, the Texas agriculture commissioner has a responsibility to all Texans to refrain from promoting fake news that is only intended to create division and mistrust in the community”.
The advocacy group CAIR recorded a significant rise in Muslim hate incidents throughout the United States. At the same time, Miller’s online content allegedly helped create an atmosphere that extremist groups believe will lead his 600,000 followers to hate Muslims.
Political Ramifications and State Response
The Republican Governor of Texas, Abbott, has previously criticized Miller for his 2016 tweet, which used an obscene term to describe Hillary Clinton. Abbott stated at the time: “No true Texas gentleman would ever talk this way”.
The Agriculture Commissioner has been involved in multiple controversies since taking office, and recent reports have exposed his views on diversity, equity, and inclusion policies. The Texas Tribune reported in September 2025 that Miller, who “declared war on DEI” in January, had previously written letters “emphasizing a student’s ethnicity and socioeconomic status” when urging universities to admit “a ‘biracial Latina’” connected to his political associate.
Broader Context of Anti-Muslim Sentiment
The comments from Miller took place during a time when Muslim hate crimes were increasing throughout the United States. CAIR reports through national data that hate incidents against American Muslims and minority groups have reached record levels since political leaders started making anti-Islamic statements.
A 2019 Baker Institute analysis of American Muslim communities noted that “Like many other U.S. minority communities, American Muslims are frequently the targets of suspicion, prejudice, discrimination, and, at times, violence”.