In an effort to counter the “alarming rise of Sharia in the United States,” two Texas congressmen have launched the Sharia Free America Caucus in the U.S. House of Representatives.
Republican U.S. Reps. Keith Self (R–McKinney) and Chip Roy (R–Austin) announced Thursday their formation of the new caucus, which is supported by U.S. Sen. Tommy Tuberville (R–AL).
“Sharia is a dominating force that is not compatible with the U.S. Constitution,” the caucus contends.
“The American way of life is under siege by radicals from a culture waging war against our Constitution and Western values,” said Self. “We’ve seen what happens when nations allow this infiltration: countries like France and England are on the verge of losing their identity and sovereignty. The same forces are at play here in America today, and if we don’t stop them, they will conquer our country too.”
“I am proud to co-chair the Sharia Free America Caucus with Congressman Chip Roy to defend our Constitution, preserve our freedoms, and make America a Sharia-free nation—once and for all,” Self added.
Recent Islamic violence in the U.S. and abroad has heightened Texans’ concerns.
Roy introduced legislation in October, the Preserving a Sharia-Free America Act, that would prevent all foreign nationals who observe Sharia from entering or remaining in the country.
“America is facing a threat that directly attacks our Constitution and our Western values: the spread of Sharia law,” Roy stated Thursday. “From Texas to every state in this constitutional republic, instances of Sharia adherents masquerading as ‘refugees’—and in many cases, sleeper cells connected to terrorist organizations—are threatening the American way of life.”
Roy noted that under Sharia law, “there is no freedom of speech, religion, or women’s rights,” adding that “Europe should be a wake-up call to America, showing what the spread of Sharia law looks like.”
“I am proud to co-chair this caucus with Keith Self, as it is important that our colleagues know the state of play; the preservation of America, Western civilization, and its people depend on it,” said Roy.
Self, Roy, and Tuberville are backing several pieces of legislation designed to combat Sharia in America, including the No Sharia Act to restrict courts from enforcing Islamic law or other foreign systems and measures to designate the Muslim Brotherhood and the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) as terrorist organizations.
Self is running for re-election to his North Texas congressional seat. The newly redrawn district includes most of Collin County and all of Hunt, Delta, Hopkins, Franklin, Titus, and Morris counties.
Roy is one of four Republicans running for the Texas attorney general spot being vacated by Ken Paxton, who is running for the U.S. Senate.
State and local officials have also begun publicly calling to curb the advance of Islamic influence in Texas.
Keller Mayor Armin Mizani signed a proclamation this week rejecting “foreign legal systems,” including Sharia law.
In November, Gov. Greg Abbott called for investigations into “possible criminal violations by Sharia tribunals masquerading as legal courts” in North Texas.
Abbott also proclaimed the Muslim Brotherhood and CAIR as foreign terrorist and transnational criminal organizations, subjecting them to heightened law enforcement and prohibitions against owning land in the state.
