(The Center Square) – A new congressional Sharia Free America Caucus is gaining momentum, led by Texas Republicans.
U.S. Reps. Chip Roy and Keith Self launched the caucus in December “to counter the alarming rise of Sharia Law in the United States. Sharia is a dominating force that is not compatible with the U.S. Constitution,” they said.
Since then, 33 members of Congress from 18 states have joined.
At a news conference on Capitol Hill, Self said they were confronting “one of the greatest threats facing our nation today.
“Sharia, a culture of violence and domination, is totally incompatible with individual freedoms, our constitution and our heritage. Chip Roy and I have launched the Sharia Free America Caucus because Texas is ground zero in this fight,” he said, highlighting recent examples, including alleged Islamic-only housing developments being built in his north Texas district.
He also cited actions of Islamic imams, religious leaders of mosques, saying one in Dallas “called the police on a fellow Muslim for simply talking to a Christian pastor” and one in Houston “was filmed threatening to occupy stores that sold goods that are incompatible with Sharia.”
He also referred to Islamic groups promoting Sharia law, wearing hijab and distributing the Qur’an, the primary Islamic text, at public schools in Texas, including at a high school in his district. “The spread [of sharia] has gotten so serious that on March 3, a proposition to ban Sharia will appear on the Texas primary ballot, and I encourage all Texans to go to and vote for that proposition,” he said.
He’s referring to the Republican primary ballot, where banning Sharia law is at the top of 10 nonbinding propositions listed, The Center Square reported. Banning Sharia Law is not on the Democratic primary ballot.
He also argued that Sharia law “is not just a Texas problem,” it’s “on the march across America from Arizona to Minnesota, Alabama, Florida, and beyond. No state is safe.”
“Sharia divides then conquers under it,” he said. “There’s no true freedom of religion or speech, no equal rights, and women are second class citizens. Don’t take my word for it. Consider the explanatory memorandum on the general strategic goal for the group in North America. A 1991 document written by a Muslim Brotherhood leader uncovered in a federal terrorism investigation,” he said, referring to the Holy Land Trial, one of the largest terrorism trials in the U.S. Several former members of the Council on American Islamic Relations were sentenced to dozens of years in prison for their role in supporting terrorism resulting from the trial.
The document states the Muslim Brotherhood’s goal is to establish “an effective and stable Islamic Movement led by the Muslim Brotherhood” in North America that “adopts Muslims’ causes domestically and globally,” expands the observant Muslim base, and supports the global Islamic State,” among other goals. Those working to accomplish this include the Islamic Society of North America, Muslim Students’ Association, the Muslim Communities Association, the Association of Muslim Social Scientists, Islamic Medical Association, North American Islamic Trust, Islamic Housing Cooperative, Muslim youth of North America, ISNA Fiqh Committee, among many others, according to the document.
So far, caucus members have filed seven bills to ban Sharia Law in the United States, Self said, including to “safeguard our immigration and legal systems from Sharia infiltration, deport foreign nationals who adhere to Sharia and correctly list both the Muslim Brotherhood and CAIR” as foreign terrorist organizations.
Also this week, Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton sued the Muslim Brotherhood and CAIR seeking to ban them from operating in Texas, The Center Square reported. The lawsuit refers to CAIR as a “chapter of the Muslim Brotherhood.”
These actions were taken after Texas Gov. Greg Abbott first designated the Muslim Brotherhood and CAIR as foreign terror organizations last fall. He’s since called for a series of investigations into CAIR and called on the Treasury Department to strip it of its nonprofit status, The Center Square reported. CAIR has sued Abbott and argues his and Paxton’s actions are frivolous, politically motivated, and anti-Muslim.
Texas Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick also announced that banning Sharia law is at the top of his legislative priorities for the next legislative session. This is after a Texas House Republican called for hearings on the issue this year, Abbott and the state comptroller are fighting with public schools over Islamic-related issues, and conflict related to Islamic groups in Texas remains a key focus of state and local actions, The Center Square reported.
All members of the Sharia-Free America Caucus are Republicans. Seven are from Texas: U.S. Reps. Keith Self, Chip Roy, Brandon Gill, Michael Cloud, Brian Babin, Monica De La Cruz and Wesley Hunt.
Other members include U.S. House Majority Whip Tom Emmer, R-MN; Mary Miller of IL, Andy Biggs of AZ, Eli Crane of AZ, Byron Donalds of FL, Scott Perry of PA, Randy Fine of FL, Andy Ogles of TN, Eric Burlison of MO, Josh Brecheen of OK, Sheri Biggs of SC, Ralph Norman of SC, Barry Moore of AL, Tracey Mann of KS, Russ Fulcher of ID, Mike Kelly of PA, Mike Kennedy of UT, Andrew Clyde of GA, Mark Harris of NC, Nick Begich of AK, Cory Mills of FL, Mike Haridopolos of FL, Ben Cline of VA, Paul Gosar of AZ, John McGuire of VA and Addison McDowell of NC.
