Texas Becomes Epicenter of Republican Midterm Campaign Against 'Islamist Influence' and Sharia Law

During a rally in Michigan last weekend, US President Donald Trump declared that Muslim-American senatorial candidate Abdul El-Sayed was a “jihadist” aiming to implement “Sharia law” in the United States. “I'm here to keep a jihadist Muslim Brotherhood member from becoming a United States senator,” Mr Trump told supporters in Port Huron. “Not going to let that happen.” There is no credible evidence to suggest Mr El-Sayed has Muslim Brotherhood ties or wishes to impose Islamic law on the US. However, a growing movement among some Republicans seeks to preemptively ban Sharia, or Islamic law, and combat the influence of Islamist groups like the Muslim Brotherhood. This campaign has intensified in the lead-up to Tuesday's midterm elections, with Texas emerging as a focal point.

'So goes Texas, so goes the nation'

In December, representatives Keith Self and Chip Roy established the Sharia-Free America Caucus, dedicated to banning any implementation of Sharia in the US, which they claim is the central objective of Islamist groups such as the Muslim Brotherhood. Islamism is defined as a political ideology advocating that Islam should govern public life and law, rather than being solely a personal faith. Currently, there is no known public effort to enact Sharia in any part of the US. Senator Tommy Tuberville was seen speaking at a press conference for the Sharia-Free America Caucus. The caucus has expanded to approximately 70 members, with about a quarter originating from Texas. Mr Self and Mr Roy, both from Texas, have led House legislation targeting groups like the Muslim Brotherhood and aiming to prevent the establishment of Sharia. In the Senate, Texan John Cornyn introduced the Ban Outsiders Openly Touting (Boot) Sharia Law Act in May, and Ted Cruz spearheaded efforts to designate the Muslim Brotherhood as a terrorist organization. In January, Mr Trump designated three branches of the Muslim Brotherhood as foreign terrorist organizations.

In February, Mr Self described Texas as “ground zero” in the struggle against the proliferation of Islamist ideology. “As Texas goes, so goes the nation, and as the nation goes, so goes the world,” he stated. Much of the discourse surrounding this issue centers on Epic City, a planned residential development in Josephine, a town located about an hour from downtown Dallas. Epic City is supported by the East Plano Islamic Centre, with funding sourced from the local Muslim community. The development is slated to include a mosque, a religious school for kindergarten through 12th grade, an assisted living facility, and sports amenities. Last year, Texas Governor Greg Abbott drew attention to the project, characterizing the development as a Muslim-only compound that would operate under Sharia. In September, he signed a law prohibiting “Sharia compounds” that utilize religion “as a form of segregation.” Mr Abbott's communications director stated, “Entities that seek to impose Sharia law are not welcome in Texas, and efforts to create Muslim-only no-go zones have been stopped in their tracks.” The statement continued, “Governor Abbott will take action against any group that seeks to violate our Constitution and laws.” Yasir Qadhi, resident scholar at the Islamic centre, described Epic City in February as a “role model community” intended for thousands of Muslims to live “well-integrated.” He clarified, “We are not forming a cult. We're not forming big barriers between the rest of society. We're going to be giving back to this state and this country and we're going to be showing what it means to be a Muslim neighbourhood.”

Radicalisation crisis?

Sam Westrop, senior fellow at the Texas Public Policy Foundation, attributed the increased scrutiny of perceived Islamist influence in the state to “unease” regarding the expansion of certain ideological forces. “It's not like these are a few crackpots running around causing trouble in mosques,” Mr Westrop commented, also heading the Islamist Watch program at the Middle East Forum. “These are networks with links to powerful foreign states. These are networks with ties to criminal activity.” He asserted that the policy foundation is monitoring approximately 300 Islamist groups in Texas, which he believes possesses a unique “diversity” of organizations compared to other states. Mr Westrop claimed that groups such as the Muslim Brotherhood and the Jamaat-e-Islami are unable to channel funds to causes through the non-profit system. A rally organized by ACT for America, protesting 'the threat of radical Islam', took place in New York in 2017. Mr Westrop suggested that Texas officials' historical reluctance to interfere with religious organizations, coupled with their current calls to action, indicates growing apprehension about the situation on the ground. “The grassroots notice when mega mosques start to appear in their neighbourhood,” he observed. “These are institutions, mosques with ties to extremists at home and also violent extremists overseas. These mosque expansions are driven by money produced by Islamist donors.” Mr Westrop warned that if Islamist groups succeed in radicalizing Muslim communities in Texas and elsewhere, “theocratic, illiberal, anti-Semitic, anti-West” ideologies could escalate to violence with “just a small prod.” Earlier this month, Mr Self was reportedly the target of an alleged ISIS-linked assassination plot by a 17-year-old. “This is a radicalisation crisis in the process,” Mr Westrop concluded, suggesting that Texas's actions to counter Islamist groups could serve as a “blueprint” for the rest of the country.

'No red line'

Conversely, critics interpret the accusations of Muslim Brotherhood ties and attempts to implement Sharia as a reaction to the increasing political participation of Muslims. Mobashra Tazamal, associate director of the Bridge Initiative at Georgetown University in Washington, a research program focused on raising awareness of Islamophobia, stated, “Republicans are reaching for a tried and tested strategy of Islamophobia.” She further suggested that Mr Trump's low approval ratings might be a factor, leading to the use of such rhetoric to energize the conservative base before the midterm elections. Ms Tazamal argued that accusations of connections to Islamist groups like the Muslim Brotherhood are simply attempts by Republican candidates lacking substantial policy proposals to discredit Muslim opponents. A #NoMuslimBanEver rally against 'discriminatory policies that unlawfully target and hurt American Muslim and immigrant communities' occurred in Washington in 2017. This strategy is amplified by a persistent general suspicion of the Muslim community among Americans. A Pew survey from the spring indicated that 43% of US adults perceived Muslims as less patriotic than other Americans, and 42% believed Muslim Americans had a negative impact on the country. Texas, traditionally a predominantly white, Christian, and politically conservative state, has undergone demographic shifts over the past two decades. Its population has grown to approximately 31 million, with a significant influx of immigrants from Asian, African, and other regions, according to the Texas Demographics Centre. A Pew Research Centre report revealed that between 2007 and 2024, the number of individuals professing Christian faith decreased by nearly 20%. While the largest growth was observed in the category of those with no religious affiliation, the number belonging to other faiths, including Islam, increased from 3% to 6%. This demographic change, combined with a rapidly growing level of civic engagement within the Muslim community in Texas, has created an environment conducive to a resurgence of white Christian nationalism, according to Ms Tazamal. She contended that projects like Epic City and mosque expansions are being presented as dubious evidence of a “nefarious plot” to take over the state. “This level of rhetoric today is just so hateful … it's been a genuinely scary election season to follow because there's been no red line in terms of the hatred,” Ms Tazamal remarked.

Bad messaging or hate?

Mr Westrop conceded that Republican politicians sometimes miscommunicate their message on this issue. “Too often, they conflate Islam and Islamism. The more concerning point is when they conflate Muslims and Islamists, and of course that undoes the work of a great number of moderate Muslims who are working to fight this threat as well,” he acknowledged. However, he added, “just because it's expressed badly doesn't mean it's not a real threat.” Ms Tazamal countered that the blurring of lines between non-violent and violent extremism, and the labeling of Muslim civic action groups critical of US policy as extremist, have contributed to the current situation. She noted that far-right groups have historically been responsible for more political violence than Muslim actors. A report published last year by the right-leaning Cato Institute indicated that over the past 50 years, more than 3,500 people have died in acts of political violence in the US. Excluding the 9/11 attacks and the Oklahoma City bombing (perpetrated by an anti-government right-wing terrorist in 1995), 45% of individuals killed in political violence were victims of right-wing actors, and 32% were victims of Islamists. “I think this election will be almost like a signifier to see if Islamophobia still holds when it comes to election cycles,” Ms Tazamal concluded. “I think this election will be quite telling.”