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Texans are waking up to a threat nobody in polite Washington wants to name, and Rep. Chip Roy laid it out plainly on Glenn Beck’s program: the spread of activist Islamist ideology and quasi-Sharia institutions in parts of our state is a real problem that demands a sober response. Conservatives who love Texas know we cherish the rule of law and our Constitution, and we should be unapologetic about calling out anything that seeks to set up parallel systems of governance inside our borders.
Roy has translated his concern into legislation, introducing the Preserving a Sharia-Free America Act to keep foreign nationals who insist on living under a separate legal code from entering or remaining in the country. This is not anti-religion rhetoric; it is a straightforward attempt to preserve the primacy of American law and prevent enclaves that reject our norms and liberties. The bill has ignited debate precisely because it forces the uncomfortable question: if an ideology seeks to supplant the Constitution, how do we defend our system?
The controversy is playing out across Texas, from the uproar over the planned development near Plano dubbed EPIC City to the governor’s blunt statements about Sharia and organizations he argues have concerning ties. Civil rights groups and religion scholars accuse officials of fearmongering and warn that Sharia is a complex, often personal religious framework, not an organized legal takeover. Conservatives should listen to those nuances, but they shouldn’t let nuance become an excuse for inaction when there are credible allegations about activist courts and attempts to impose alternative rules.
There are hard facts that demand investigation: activists and some imams have at times endorsed positions that clash with basic American legal norms, and past episodes like the Holy Land Foundation prosecutions remind us that extremist networks have tried to exploit legal and charitable structures before. That history is why Republicans like Roy and leaders around the state are demanding tougher vetting, better enforcement, and real transparency about foreign funding and organizational ties. We can be firm about security while still standing for religious liberty for law-abiding believers.
Practical policy follows obvious principles: no parallel courts that undermine state law, aggressive investigation of any organization that seeks to insulate itself from American jurisdiction, and tightened visa and immigration screening that flags individuals who explicitly advocate for the replacement of our legal system. These are common-sense measures that put the Constitution first and that prioritize the safety and freedoms of ordinary Texans over ideological appeasement. Lawful, peaceful Muslims who love America are not the target; those who aim to subvert our system are.
Demagogues on both sides will try to gin up hysteria, and experts will insist Sharia is mostly a private set of religious rules; both of those things contain truth. The conservative position should be neither panic nor complacency — it should be vigilance grounded in facts, enforcement of the law, and insistence on assimilation to American civic norms. We must preserve the open, free, Judeo-Christian-rooted society that has made Texas a beacon for the world.
If Republicans want to save Texas, they need to act like it: pass enforceable policies, fund border and vetting reforms, and back prosecutors who will uphold the law against any ideological challenge. Speak plainly to voters about the stakes without demonizing a whole faith, and hold the left accountable when it downplays the threat from violent extremists or ideological movements that reject our Constitution. This is about preserving liberty, security, and the future of Texas for hardworking Americans who want to keep our state free and prosperous.
