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Three Months In: Is Texas Winning the War Against Islamists?

Gov. Greg Abbott, R-Texas. (Jason Fochtman/Houston Chronicle via Getty Images)

Peter McIlvenna serves as chief of staff to Lord Pearson of Rannoch in the UK’s House of Lords, hosts the Hearts of Oak podcast and is a fellow of the American Freedom Alliance.

In November, a War Room clip exposed two Sharia courts in Texas, operating for years and handling hundreds of cases.

While legal if both parties agree, Muslim women often face strong pressure to use Sharia courts over county courts. Under strict Sharia, women inherit less, divorce is difficult, and testimony counts for less. Refusal can lead to honor-based abuse—shaming, threats, beatings, or rarely, “honor killings.”

Texas sees hundreds of unreported cases annually. For many women, signing is survival, not consent. On Nov. 19, Gov. Greg Abbott called for investigations. Three months later, and there have been no charges. Arbitrations continue quietly, and no woman has spoken out.

Fear keeps these stories hidden.

On Nov. 18, Abbott became the first governor to label the Council on American-Islamic Relations and the Muslim Brotherhood as foreign terrorist groups.

The move blocks them from buying land, state funds, or public contracts. Cy-Fair ISD cut ties, nonprofits halted grants, and CAIR sued for defamation. On Jan. 28, Abbott asked Attorney General Ken Paxton to revoke their nonprofit status. The groups are still active, and while the crackdown is real, it has mostly been symbolic so far.

The East Plano Islamic Center’s 400-acre housing project, now called “The Meadow,” faced a fraud lawsuit on Dec. 5. Construction has stopped, but developers continue to submit plans. The project is currently stalled, but it could start again if the lawsuit is unsuccessful or takes a long time to resolve.

The issue spread beyond Texas.

On Dec. 9, Florida’s Gov. Ron DeSantis gave CAIR and the Muslim Brotherhood the same terrorist label. CAIR sued. Nationally, Trump signed an executive order on Nov. 24 against Brotherhood chapters.

On Jan.13, the Treasury and State Department targeted Muslim Brotherhood branches in Egypt, Jordan, and Lebanon, freezing assets and criminalizing support.

Texas now has federal support but no nationwide Sharia ban.

In Congress, Texas Republican Reps. Chip Roy and Keith Self launched the Sharia-Free America Caucus on Dec. 18. It now has 35 members from 18 states, including Sen. Tommy Tubberville, R-Ala. The caucus is working on bills to limit immigration for people who follow Sharia and to deport those considered security risks. At a press conference on Feb. 4, Texas was called “ground zero.”

No laws have passed yet, but support is increasing as the midterms approach.

On Jan. 9, about 700 people, including lawmakers and activists, attended the “Save Texas from Radical Islam” dinner, organised by Patriot Mobile, War Room, and American Freedom Alliance.

War Room host Steve Bannon described the situation as an “invasion,” Glenn Beck warned about a political takeover, and Geert Wilders mentioned European “no-go zones.”

Glenn Story emphasised defending God-given rights, Karen Siegemund highlighted transatlantic parallels in the threat from radical Islam and I called for the church to engage in this fight.

After the event, Bannon started weekly WarRoom Texas broadcasts. The dinner helped turn local worries into action across the state.

State Rep. Brian Harrison, a Republican, called for hearings to ban Sharia law and close loopholes. Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick put it on the Senate agenda. No hearings are scheduled, and the legislature won’t meet again until 2027 unless a special session is called.

On Feb. 5, Paxton filed a wide-ranging lawsuit against CAIR chapters in Austin, Houston, and Dallas-Fort Worth, along with Muslim Brotherhood affiliates.

The lawsuit seeks to ban their operations, property ownership, and recruitment. It mentions past Hamas connections from the 2008 Holy Land Foundation case. After years of little action against CAIR, this move comes as the primary election season begins.

And on Feb. 10, the House Judiciary Subcommittee on the Constitution and Limited Government held a hearing chaired Roy to examine whether political Islam and Sharia law conflict with the U.S. Constitution, focusing on alleged efforts to establish Sharia-based institutions and potential federal law violations. Testimonies from witnesses like Robert Spencer and Krista Schild highlighted Sharia’s incompatibility with American principles and organized pressure against critics in Texas, while discussions touched on immigration reforms to bar Sharia adherents.

Following the hearing, Self announced the expansion of the Sharia-Free America Caucus to 38 Republican members from 18 states, including representatives like Roy, Mary Miller, and Andy Biggs, with the group aiming to safeguard constitutional governance.

Muslim organizations such as CAIR condemned the proceedings for promoting anti-Muslim rhetoric, and Democrats argued it stoked unnecessary fears about a religious minority.

Despite the moves to curb Sharia law in the last three months, Kerr County arbitrations continue. There’s no law banning Sharia—only plans announced. No woman has received state protection from honor-based coercion. Lawsuits continue, projects are paused, and the problem remains unresolved.

Texas is leading the way. The question now is whether this impetus will turn into real legislation or fade away as just election-year talk.

We publish a variety of perspectives. Nothing written here is to be construed as representing the views of The Daily Signal.

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