A Texas conservative group circulated an email to supporters on Monday that disparaged Middle Eastern elected officials while invoking the anniversary of the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks.
True Texas Project, which describes itself as a grassroots conservative group with chapters across the state, wrote that it “boggles” the sender’s mind “how quickly we went from our vow to ‘never forget’ to now having multiple elected positions filled by Middle Easterners.”
The message went on to call such political choices “foolish” and acknowledged critics would label the comments bigoted.
The Monday email landed in inboxes just days before the 24th anniversary of the Sept. 11 attacks. Leaders of True Texas Project did not respond to The Texas Newsroom’s requests for comment.
The message is just the latest in a string of recent anti-Muslim sentiment among Texas Republicans.
Just hours before the True Texas Project email, Gov. Greg Abbott posted an image on social media stating that “sharia law and sharia cities are banned in the state of Texas,” adding that “any legal system that flouts human rights is BANNED.”
In response, a spokesperson for Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) slammed Abbott, accusing the governor of spreading misinformation about religious practices he doesn’t fully understand.
"Governor Abbott should visit one of the many mosques across Texas to learn about what sharia really is,” the statement read. “In the meantime, he should know that the Texas Muslim community fears God, not dishonest fearmongering from politicians who understand Islam about as well as they understand the First Amendment."
The concerns highlighted by CAIR mirror other recent incidents in North Texas.
Last month, Bo French, chair of the Tarrant County Republican Party, attacked Democratic state Rep. Salman Bhojani of Euless in social media posts. In one since-deleted post, French asked his online followers whether the law should be changed to “forbid foreign born people from holding any elected office.”
On Monday, Rep. Bhojani told The Texas Newsroom that the email from True Texas Project was “really insulting,” adding he believed it was “in the same lane and theme” as rhetoric from other Texas conservatives of late.
“This is not what Texas stands for, this is not what America stands for,” Bhojani said.
Meanwhile, the East Plano Islamic Center’s EPIC City development has been targeted by Texas Republicans who allege — without evidence — that the project could discriminate against non-Muslims, violate the state’s Fair Housing Act, harm investors, break consumer protection laws and operate illegal funeral services.
EPIC has denied the claims, claiming the investigation is motivated by anti-Muslim bias.
Federal officials briefly reviewed the case but found no violations. The controversy intensified after text messages emerged showing anti-Muslim remarks by a state regulator.
Gov. Abbott has been a vocal critic of EPIC, issuing statements emphasizing the state’s oversight and sharing Islamophobic social media content, including posts that described Islam as a “militant ideology.” Abbott later removed some of the posts, but his office has maintained the project is under scrutiny for legal and regulatory compliance.
A recent CAIR report said the campaign against EPIC City used state power in ways that could limit opportunities for Texas Muslims.
