The Texas chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations put out an extensive statement on Friday condemning Republican Gov. Greg Abbott for his recent social media post urging Texans to report anyone attempting to impose "Sharia law," or Islamic religious laws, in Texas.
Abbott's post on X came in response to what appeared to be a video of an Islamic activist in Houston protesting the sale of alcohol, pork, and lottery tickets.
"I signed laws that BAN Sharia Law and Sharia Compounds in Texas," wrote Abbott. "No business & no individual should fear fools like this. If this person, or ANYONE, attempts to impose Sharia compliance, report it to local law enforcement or the Texas Dept. of Public Safety."
This proclamation, stated CAIR-Texas, is "divorced from reality."
"Abbott was referring to House Bill 4211, a measure requiring business entities in residential developments to disclose certain investment structures," said the CAIR statement. "The legislation was introduced in response to the proposed EPIC City project led by the East Plano Islamic Center. While the developers of EPIC City have stated that their project fully complies with Texas law and even expressed support for HB 4211, Abbott has used the legislation to promote false claims about 'Sharia law' and so-called 'compounds.'"
"The governor’s rhetoric is fueling anti-Muslim bigotry and putting Texas Muslims at risk. To single out Islamic practices as uniquely threatening undermines the equal protection clause of the Fourteenth Amendment. This approach sets a dangerous precedent, suggesting the government can discriminate against religious minorities based on popular misconceptions or political expediency," the statement continued, noting that there is no evidence of any extrajudicial Islamic legal system in Texas, and he seeks to discriminate "in ways that would never be applied to other faiths, such as Jews observing Halakha or Catholics practicing canon law."
CAIR has for years worked with the federal government to fight against anti-Muslim hate crimes and promote minority religious civil rights, although the group generated some controversy in recent years; in 2023, the Biden administration cut ties with the organization after it emerged one of its leaders, Nihad Awad, said he was "happy to see" Palestinians break out of Gaza during the October 7th massacre of Israelis.