A group of Texas lawmakers announced the formation of an anti-"Sharia" legislative caucus Thursday, the latest in a string of moves by state Republicans that target Muslims in Texas.
The Sharia Free Texas Caucus, which comes after the Sharia Free America Caucus formed in the U.S. House of Representatives in December, was formed in response to "the alarming rise of Sharia Law in Texas," according to Texas Rep. Brent Money (R-Greenville).
“Texas has always been a beacon of freedom, forged in the fires of independence and rooted in unyielding Christian values,“ read a statement from Money. "We defiantly declare: We will not stand idly by as Islamic influences seek to transform our great state into another conquered territory."
Sharia is the personal religious and moral code of Islam, offering broad faith-based guidelines for Muslims. Conservatives have latched on to the term in recent decades, describing it as an extremist threat.
The Council on American-Islamic Relations, the country's largest Muslim civil rights group, has denounced that assertion as fear-mongering.
"Muslim Americans are teachers, lawyers, doctors, politicians, and neighbors, that is to say that we are an essential part of the cultural fabric of Texas and the United States," CAIR DFW Community Liaison Nooradeen Barreh wrote in n email to KERA. "We at CAIR Texas urge the members of the Sharia Free Caucus to retract the many false statements made and to learn the history of Muslims in the United States."
CAIR itself has come under fire from Texas Republicans, with Gov. Greg Abbott declaring it a terrorist group last year, and Attorney General Ken Paxton targeting its local chapters.
The caucus' formation also comes as some Republican politicians have made their opposition to a proposed Muslim-centered development in North Texas part of their campaign platform.
The East Plano Islamic Center, or EPIC, first announced it was developing a master-planned community in 2024. The Meadow would be a 402-acre project in unincorporated Collin and Hunt counties, located about 40 miles northeast of Dallas near Josephine. It would include a new mosque, over 1,000 homes, a K-12 faith-based school, and more.
The project has been the target of multiple investigations and lawsuits, including a federal probe into potential religious discrimination, prompted by U.S. Sen. John Cornyn, which was closed in June. The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development is also investigating the project.
Dan Cogdell, legal counsel for the Meadow's developers, called the caucus' assertions "absurd."
"It's a whole lot easier to demonize someone than it is to actually solve a problem," he said. "And that's what they've repeatedly done. It would be great fodder for a Saturday Night Live skit if it wasn't what was actually happening."
The Islamic faith has been front and center in the Republican primary elections, with candidates denouncing "Sharia Law" in Texas and the proposed Muslim-oriented housing development.
"The attacks on the Muslim community is actually at an all-time high," Cogdell said. "I think it's worse now than it was after 9-11."
Muslims in North Texas have pushed back against the rhetoric surrounding Sharia Law.
“It's a path to get closer to God,” Aminah Chowdhry, who attends the EPIC mosque, told KERA this week. “That's what it is. Like, I'm fasting, that's part of Sharia law. I'm good to my parents, that’s part of Sharia Law.”
Alexsis Jones is a reporter and producer for KERA News. Got a tip? Email Alexsis at ajones@kera.org.
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