In response, a spokesperson for Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) slammed Abbott, accusing the governor of spreading misinformation about religious practices he doesn\u2019t fully understand.<\/p>\n
\u201cGovernor Abbott should visit one of the many mosques across Texas to learn about what sharia really is,\u201d the statement read. \u201cIn the meantime, he should know that the Texas Muslim community fears God, not dishonest fearmongering from politicians who understand Islam about as well as they understand the First Amendment.\u201d<\/p>\n
The concerns highlighted by CAIR mirror other recent incidents in North Texas.<\/p>\n
Last month, Bo French, chair of the Tarrant County Republican Party,\u00a0attacked Democratic state Rep. Salman Bhojani of Euless<\/a>\u00a0in social media posts. In one since-deleted post, French asked his online followers whether the law should be changed to \u201cforbid foreign born people from holding any elected office.\u201d<\/p>\n On Monday, Rep. Bhojani told The Texas Newsroom that the email from True Texas Project was \u201creally insulting,\u201d adding he believed it was \u201cin the same lane and theme\u201d as rhetoric from other Texas conservatives of late.<\/p>\n \u201cThis is not what Texas stands for, this is not what America stands for,\u201d Bhojani said.<\/p>\n Meanwhile, the East Plano Islamic Center\u2019s EPIC City development has been targeted by Texas Republicans who allege \u2014 without evidence \u2014 that the project could discriminate against non-Muslims, violate the state\u2019s Fair Housing Act, harm investors, break consumer protection laws and operate illegal funeral services.<\/p>\n EPIC has denied the claims, claiming the investigation is motivated by anti-Muslim bias.<\/p>\n Federal officials briefly reviewed the case but\u00a0found no violations<\/a>. The controversy intensified after text messages emerged\u00a0showing anti-Muslim remarks by a state regulator<\/a>.<\/p>\n Gov. Abbott has been\u00a0a vocal critic of EPIC<\/a>, issuing statements emphasizing the state\u2019s oversight and sharing Islamophobic social media content, including posts that described Islam as a \u201cmilitant ideology.\u201d Abbott later removed some of the posts, but his office has maintained the project is under scrutiny for legal and regulatory compliance.<\/p>\n A\u00a0recent CAIR report<\/a>\u00a0said the campaign against EPIC City used state power in ways that could limit opportunities for Texas Muslims.<\/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
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