Texas Republicans Move to Label Sharia a Seditious Enemy

At the Republican Party of Texas State Convention held in downtown Houston this June, delegates voted to adopt a resolution declaring Sharia a "seditious, subversive competing enemy." The measure, approved by party members, urges the state legislature to treat the advocacy of Sharia as a crime. Punishments outlined in the resolution include stripping U.S. citizenship and deporting offenders.

Mohamed Hussein, a 38-year-old health-care manager in Houston, attended the convention with his father, Tarek Hussein. Tarek is a physical therapist and the founder of the local Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) chapter. Governor Greg Abbott designated CAIR a foreign terrorist organization nine days after launching his bid for a fourth term. CAIR called the move a publicity stunt with no basis in fact or law and has filed an ongoing lawsuit.

During the convention, the GOP chair told Tarek Hussein and another Muslim delegate to leave the caucus. He said, "There is a Democrat convention happening in a couple of weeks. Join them." Mohamed Hussein described the scene as shocking. He noted that the party in power was adopting the resolution with the intention of leveraging the state against a community. He stayed at the convention to engage in dialogue, attending a session with the Judeo-Christian Caucus.

In that session, moderator Rick Scarborough, a former Southern Baptist minister, warned attendees about Muslims who pretend to be accommodating. He reportedly said, "I’ll guarantee, if they get power, they’ll cut your head off as believers of Christ." Hussein spoke up to correct what he called lies. When he asked Scarborough what the party wanted them to do, the former minister replied, "Yes," to Hussein's question about whether they should leave. Hussein later wept in an empty seat.

The resolution follows a broader wave of anti-Muslim rhetoric in Texas. Senator Ted Cruz told a crowd in Dallas that communists and Islamists are sweeping over the Democrat Party. Governor Abbott’s designation of CAIR and the resolution have prompted efforts to mobilize Muslim voters in the state. Ahmad Siddiqi, an imam at the Kingwood Islamic Center, said the community has moved past fear and now wants to stand its ground.

Imran Ghani, director of the local CAIR chapter, addressed a congregation of more than 200 people in late September. He urged attendees to be openly Muslim and to vote, noting that a lack of political power makes the community an easy target. Volunteers from the nonprofit Emgage are canvassing neighborhoods in Houston suburbs to register unregistered voters. Jida Nabulsi, Emgage’s Texas director, said her group is trying to motivate people who have not been involved in politics before.

A monthly candidate forum series is also underway to encourage participation in local races. At a recent event at the Clear Lake Islamic Center, more than a dozen candidates for Congress and local office pitched their platforms. No Republican candidates appeared. Mohammed Nasrullah, who leads the series, said he is pressing citizens to vote in local races where a few thousand votes can change the outcome.