Houston Muslims say Republicans who courted them now target them
Once-wooed voters in Texas describe party embracing anti-Sharia rhetoric that casts Muslim life as threat
HOUSTON (MNTV) — Muslims in the Houston area say they feel betrayed by Republican politicians who once sought their votes but now embrace rhetoric portraying Islam as a threat to Texas.
The shift is stark in Fort Bend County, home to one of the state’s largest Muslim communities, where Representative Troy Nehls formed a “Muslim Americans for Nehls” coalition in his 2020 campaign but this year co-sponsored the “No Shari’a Act” — despite Sharia, a religious and ethical framework, not being part of U.S. law.
Residents say the party has moved beyond policy debate to treat ordinary Muslim life — mosques, halal businesses, community developments — as evidence of an alleged “Islamic takeover.”
Governor Greg Abbott has called for a total ban on Sharia, dozens of Republican state lawmakers have joined a “Sharia-Free Caucus,” and officials have targeted the East Plano Islamic Center’s proposed EPIC City development and Muslim prayer accommodations at airports.
At the state Republican convention in Houston, anti-Sharia rhetoric was a prominent theme, with Muslim Republican delegates reportedly told they had no place in the party.
“We feel abandoned for sure,” said Fort Bend resident Faizan Atiq. Sameeha Rizvi of CAIR Action said the hostility is especially painful for Muslims born and raised in Texas.
The campaign has coincided with rising anti-Muslim incidents, including threats against Houston institutions and an incident in Conroe where Muslim women were told America was a “Christian country.”
Republican strategist Vinny Minchillo said the focus on Sharia can be politically effective even without evidence it is entering state law; experts say it manufactures fear around a minority — about 2 percent of Texans, per Pew — to mobilize voters while diverting attention from economic concerns.
For many, the shift feels less like policy disagreement than a rejection of their place in the state they call home.
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