Anti Sharia rhetoric has intensified in the United States as Republican politicians, particularly in Texas, have renewed attacks on the Islamic concept of Sharia ahead of the 2026 midterm elections.
At a recent Republican midterm convention in Dallas, Texas Senator Ted Cruz received loud applause after saying, “Sharia law has no place in America. We need to stand together and stop it now.”
Texas Governor Greg Abbott also said he would “fully ban Sharia law in Texas.”
Muslim American civic leaders and scholars have pushed back against the rhetoric, arguing that Sharia is being misrepresented and presented as a threat to the US Constitution and legal system.
Muslim Americans Defend Meaning of Sharia
Sharia refers broadly to Islamic religious guidance covering areas such as prayer, fasting, charity, pilgrimage and personal conduct. Interpretations and applications of Sharia differ across Muslim communities and countries.
Sabeel Ahmed, director of the Illinois based Muslim outreach organisation GainPeace, said the term is often misunderstood.
“Many people think Sharia is only about punishments, but in Islam it is Allah’s guidance for living with faith, justice, mercy, and responsibility,” Ahmed said in a social media post after visiting Texas.
He told the Associated Press that politicians and social media personalities continue to use anti Sharia rhetoric because it can attract attention and support.
“They gain popularity by saying it,” Ahmed said. “It’s the job of the Muslims to educate what is the proper meaning of the word Sharia.”
Islamic scholar Abdullahi Ahmed An Na’im, a longtime critic of governments that coercively enforce religious law, said Muslim Americans can follow Sharia as part of their faith while also embracing American values.
He described the attacks on Sharia as “a shocking ignorance of what Sharia means.”
Republican Lawmakers Push Anti Sharia Measures
Republican Representatives Keith Self and Chip Roy of Texas have also campaigned against Sharia. The two lawmakers co founded the Sharia Free America Caucus in Congress.
“Sharia is a direct threat to our Constitution and Western values and seeks to replace our legal system and erode our basic freedoms,” Roy said earlier this year.
The caucus has more than 60 Republican members and has introduced several anti Sharia bills since its formation last December. None of the measures has so far become law.
The Council on American Islamic Relations, or CAIR, has criticised the caucus and accused its members of promoting anti Muslim rhetoric.
CAIR research and advocacy director Corey Saylor said, “Islam is an American faith, present for over 250 years.”
Texas Becomes Focus of Sharia Debate
Texas has emerged as a major centre of the debate.
In August, Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton sought documents from the Dallas based Islamic Tribunal as part of an investigation into whether it was engaged in activities that could conflict with state or federal law.
Paxton said, “This is America, and we will not be governed by sharia law.”
The Islamic Tribunal later clarified that it does not operate as a court and does not issue legally binding judgments. It said its role was limited to mediation and religious arbitration requested by members of the Muslim community.
Asma Uddin, a law professor at Michigan State University, said ordinary Muslim practices such as prayer, clothing choices, family counselling and mosque attendance were increasingly being presented as political threats.
“When politicians use this, it’s giving them exactly what they’re looking for,” Uddin said. “They’re looking for a scapegoat … and this gets people riled up.”
Ahmed said he plans to continue visiting mosques and communities in Texas to explain Islamic practices to the wider public.
“Islam is not to be feared,” he said. “People should meet a Muslim, go to the mosque, reach out to us. Let’s emphasize the commonalities we have.”
