The Faith & Justice Coalition of Tarrant County shared a copy of their letters with the Fort Worth Report on Aug. 22. The clergy-based leaders wrote they were deeply troubled by French\u2019s comments toward Bhojani and asked for elected officials to speak out against \u201cIslamaphobia and all forms of bigotry.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cThese comments are not merely political attacks, they are Islamophobic, divisive, and fundamentally un-American,\u201d the statement read.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Copies of the letter, signed by 17 religious leaders, were mailed to various elected officials in Tarrant County, including Tarrant County Judge Tim O\u2019Hare and county commissioners; Fort Worth Mayor Mattie Parker and City Council members; and various state representatives and senators, said Rev. Ryon Price, senior pastor of Broadway Baptist Church and a member of the coalition.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cMr. French has not quit, and I think it\u2019s imperative that religious leaders speak up and say this is completely out of bounds. It goes beyond the political and is something that our community should not tolerate,\u201d Price told the Report.\u00a0<\/p>\n
French did not return a request for comment. In an X post Friday afternoon<\/a>, he wrote: \u201cThere are whispers of yet another hit piece coming out on me. This surprises no one.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cThey are hoping to play up on calls of racism by people who have taken what I say out of context,\u201d French wrote. \u201cMany such cases. Just know, this is not going to stop me. I am going to keep fighting for Texas.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n Parker declined to comment until she receives the letter, saying she would be willing to discuss the issue after she can better understand the faith leaders\u2019 perspectives. Earlier this summer, she joined Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick and other Republican officials in condemning French\u2019s \u201cbigotry\u201d<\/a> for posting a poll on whether Jewish or Muslim people \u201cpose a bigger threat to America.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n Sheri Allen, a cantor and co-founder of Makom Shelanu, an LGBTQ+ affirming synagogue in Fort Worth, was among those who signed Friday\u2019s letter, saying it\u2019s important\u00a0 \u201cto stand up for each other when it comes to that,\u201d regardless of religion.<\/p>\n The Jewish community knows what it\u2019s like \u201cto be scapegoated and to be the victims of hate speech,\u201d Allen said. She added, \u201cFor anyone that would say, \u2018Oh, it\u2019s just words. It\u2019s just speech, it doesn\u2019t, it can\u2019t hurt anyone. It can\u2019t harm anyone.\u2019 Words can sometimes do the greatest harm.\u201d<\/p>\n Bhojani told the Report he wasn\u2019t aware of the letters being sent to officials, but \u201cit\u2019s good to see that people are standing up for what\u2019s completely wrong and, honestly, disgusting to hear from a leader in Tarrant County.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n French\u2019s posts against Bhojani came as Texas House Democrats broke quorum<\/a> to delay Republicans from adopting a new congressional map designed to make at least five districts more Republican-friendly. At the time, French accused<\/a> Bhojani of lying about traveling out of the country for a family emergency.\u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cI am officially calling on @RealTomHoman to denaturalize and deport Pakistan born, anti-American democrat, #txlege quorum breaking, @realDonaldTrump\u2019s agenda hating, redistricting blocking @SalmanBhojaniTX,\u201d French wrote on X<\/a> on Aug. 11.\u00a0<\/p>\n Bhojani eventually posted photos<\/a> of his passport stamps and plane tickets to Pakistan. He later joined colleagues in Chicago during the quorum break.\u00a0<\/p>\n Bhojani became one of the first Muslim Americans elected to the Legislature in 2022<\/a> and was the first person of color elected to Euless City Council<\/a> in 2017. He said he\u2019s used to \u201chateful attacks\u201d both publicly and privately. However, French\u2019s inflammatory online comments have driven an increased level of harassment to him and his family, the lawmaker said.\u00a0<\/p>\n His wife and two teenage kids moved into his parents\u2019 gated house after being doxxed online and followed by an unmarked car, Bhojani said. Bhojani said he had hired 24\/7 security for his family before Texas House Speaker Dustin Burrows ordered state troopers to monitor Democrats<\/a> who broke quorum over redistricting.\u00a0<\/p>\n He hopes the demand letters help encourage elected officials to speak out against Islamophobia in their community.\u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cIn this day and age, it\u2019s very difficult for people to take a public stance against that \u2026 and I don\u2019t know why \u2014 like, why are people shy?\u201d Bhojani said. \u201cI don\u2019t know, but I feel like from our elected officials, we should be expecting them to hold themselves to a higher standard.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n However, Bhojani said, his goal is not to force French into resigning \u2014\u00a0or to get others to remove him. If French were to get removed, \u201csomeone else just like him\u201d could take his place, he said.\u00a0<\/p>\n Instead, Bhojani said, he wants to foster \u201ca more compassionate, inclusive Texas\u201d where people of all faiths can feel safe and respected.\u00a0<\/p>\n Since his post about Bhojani, French has posted frequently on X, spreading misinformation about Islam and calling for its eradication from the United States. Last week, French wrote<\/a>:\u00a0 \u201cIslam is a political ideology intent on conquering non Islamic countries like America. It is not protected by the 1A and must be banned.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n The group\u2019s demand for officials to denounce French comes three months after the party chair\u2019s social media poll about Jewish and Muslim people, which he later apologized for posting. Patrick, Parker and other officials \u2014 including Fort Worth Congressman Craig Goldman and Rep. Giovanni Capriglione of Southlake \u2014\u00a0demanded French\u2019s immediate removal or resignation.\u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cToo many examples of @BoFrenchTX\u2019s bigotry and hate. This is one of the most egregious examples. Go fishing on X for some of the other prime examples. Too many to list here. New leadership with @tarrantgop is a given. Clear the deck. #blessyourheart,\u201d Parker wrote at the time<\/a>.\u00a0<\/p>\n After Parker initially declined to comment, her spokesperson said via email that the mayor \u201cstands by what she has previously said.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n To Bhojani, the lack of public response to French\u2019s recent flurry of Islamophobia is a \u201cstark contrast\u201d to the reprimands the party chair received over his poll in June.\u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cI guess now he\u2019s trying to switch to giving people the red meat that they\u2019re looking for, because Islamophobia does exist prominently in so many different ways,\u201d Bhojani said.\u00a0<\/p>\n Rev. Dr. Stephen Cady, president of Brite Divinity School who signed the demand letter, said antisemetic and Islamophobic comments are nonpartisan issues.\u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s dehumanizing, and it undermines all people of faith,\u201d Cady said.\u00a0<\/p>\n Since June, French has held firm in his seat as chair<\/a> and made it clear that he will not resign. Several Republican precinct chairs told the Report this summer that they stand by French<\/a> and will not support his removal from the party.\u00a0<\/p>\n Marissa Greene is a Report for America corps member, covering faith for the Fort Worth Report. You can contact her at marissa.greene@fortworthreport.org<\/a>.\u00a0<\/p>\n Cecilia Lenzen is a government accountability reporter for the Fort Worth Report. Contact her at cecilia.lenzen@fortworthreport.org<\/a>.\u00a0<\/p>\n At the Fort Worth Report, news decisions are made independently of our board members and financial supporters. Read more about our editorial independence policy here<\/a>.<\/p>\n \n\tRelated\n<\/p>\n Fort Worth Report is certified by the Journalism Trust Initiative<\/a> for adhering to standards for ethical journalism.<\/p>\n Republish This Story<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/Salman-Committee-7.jpg\")
State Rep. Salman Bhojani, D-Euless, represents Texas House District 92. (Courtesy photo | Salman Bhojani) <\/p>\n
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