Muslim advocacy group condemns Texas governor's inflammatory rhetoric following viral Houston imam video as authorities investigate multi-state hate incidents targeting Islamic communities.
The Council on American-Islamic Relations Texas chapter delivered a scathing rebuke to Governor Greg Abbott's recent claims about banning "Sharia law" in the state, calling his assertions "divorced from reality" and accusing the Republican governor of fueling dangerous anti-Muslim sentiment across Texas.
Political Grandstanding Sparks Outrage
Abbott's inflammatory statements emerged on September 8 after a viral video showed Houston Imam F. Qasim ibn Ali Khan confronting Muslim-owned businesses about selling alcohol, pork, and lottery tickets - products forbidden under Islamic law. The governor posted on social media platform X, declaring he had "signed laws that BAN Sharia Law and Sharia Compounds in Texas" and urged residents to report any attempts to impose "Sharia compliance" to law enforcement.
"Governor Abbott's post is reckless, discriminatory, and divorced from reality," CAIR-Texas stated in response. The advocacy organization emphasized that Abbott's push to ban "Sharia compounds" stems from conspiracy theories, stressing that no evidence exists of any effort to establish a separate legal system in Texas.
Legal Reality vs. Political Theater
Legal experts note that Texas does not actually have a formal "Sharia ban," contradicting Abbott's claims. The 2017 American Laws for American Courts Act prevents Texas courts from applying foreign laws in family cases if they conflict with constitutional rights, but does not explicitly target Islamic law.
Mustafaa Carroll from CAIR's Dallas-Fort Worth office directly challenged Abbott's understanding: "There's no Sharia compounds, as he would call it. He doesn't even know what Sharia is". Carroll noted more pressing state issues, saying, "We got people who are lacking housing. We got a healthcare crisis. I would say, just encourage the governor to try to pull us together and quit this foolishness".
Targeting EPIC City Development
Abbott's rhetoric specifically targets the East Plano Islamic Center's proposed EPIC City development, a 1,000-home Muslim-majority community near Dallas that has faced multiple state investigations since its announcement. During a ceremonial bill signing in McKinney on September 12, Abbott explicitly named the project while signing House Bill 4211, which removes certain religious exemptions from the Texas Fair Housing Act.
"This law prevents them from creating no-go zones," Abbott declared at the McKinney event. However, EPIC City's attorney Dan Cogdell vehemently denied the governor's characterizations, calling them "absolute lies" and noting his clients are receiving death threats due to Abbott's statements.
Escalating Security Concerns
The timing of Abbott's statements has drawn particular criticism, coming just days before the 24th anniversary of the September 11 attacks. A conservative Texas organization, the True Texas Project, circulated anti-Muslim messaging on September 9, describing Middle Eastern elected officials as "foolish".
Recent incidents have escalated security concerns for Texas Muslim communities. McKinney police responded to reports of a man entering an Islamic learning center while shouting threats, prompting CAIR to blame Abbott's rhetoric directly. "We believe this type of hate incident can be tied to the many Islamophobic statements and policies of Governor Abbott and other state officials," Executive Director Carroll stated.
Constitutional Questions Mount
Civil rights advocates argue Abbott's approach sets a dangerous precedent by suggesting the government can discriminate against religious minorities based on popular misconceptions. CAIR emphasized that Sharia provides Muslims with moral guidance in worship, charity, and business ethics, but "is not a criminal code and poses no threat to American law".
The organization noted the selective targeting of Islamic practices while similar religious codes like Jewish Halakha or Catholic canon law face no government scrutiny. Senator Ted Cruz joined criticism of the Houston imam's campaign, posting that "Sharia law has no force in America" and calling the religious harassment "outrageous".
As investigations into EPIC City continue and anti-Muslim incidents increase statewide, the controversy highlights broader national tensions about religious accommodation and constitutional protection in an increasingly polarized political environment.