Sharia law debate heats up in Texas as Abbott targets Imam

A viral video of a Houston imam pressuring Muslim shopkeepers to stop selling alcohol, pork, and lottery tickets has ignited a fierce culture war in Texas. Governor Greg Abbott swiftly responded, reaffirming the state’s ban on Sharia law enforcement and urging residents to report any such attempts.

The controversy erupted September 7, when Imam F. Qasim ibn Ali Khan of Masjid At-Tawhid, affiliated with the Nation of Islam, was filmed confronting store employees with a loudspeaker. He accused them of selling “haram” items and threatened boycotts if they didn’t comply by month’s end. “This is a campaign to clean up our community,” Khan declared, vowing to take the effort nationwide. The clips spread like wildfire on X, amplified by conservative influencers warning of “Islamification.”

Abbott wasted no time. On September 8, he posted: “I signed laws that BAN Sharia Law and Sharia Compounds in Texas. No business & no individual should fear fools like this.” He doubled down with a call to report violations to law enforcement, while his office blasted out a graphic: “Sharia law and Sharia cities are BANNED in Texas.”

Though Texas lacks a specific “Sharia ban,” Abbott cited the 2017 American Laws for American Courts bill, which blocks state courts from applying foreign or religious codes. More recently, he signed House Bill 4211 targeting so-called “Sharia compounds,” requiring transparency in land deals and barring religious governance in residential projects.

The Houston uproar echoes a larger battle. Earlier this year, Abbott moved against EPIC City, a proposed 402-acre Muslim-centric development near Dallas. Marketed as an inclusive space with homes, a mosque, and schools, it drew the governor’s ire as a “Sharia zone.” By spring, state agencies launched probes and issued a cease-and-desist, effectively stalling the project.

Critics say Abbott is fueling Islamophobia. CAIR-Texas director Mustafaa Carroll stressed that Sharia simply guides personal prayer, fasting, and charity, no different from Jewish or Catholic traditions. A September CAIR report accused Abbott of stoking hate, noting EPIC leaders have faced threats and harassment. “Abbott’s rhetoric paints ordinary Muslims as criminals,” Carroll charged.

But Abbott’s supporters see him as a bulwark against extremism. Sen. John Cornyn and activists like Laura Loomer praised his hardline stance. Meanwhile, Houston merchants caught in the storm worry about lost business and rising tensions in immigrant-heavy neighborhoods.

With Muslims making up just 1–3% of Texas’s population, the clash underscores how one video can ripple into a statewide fight over identity, law, and belonging. For now, Abbott insists: no Sharia in Texas.