Governor Greg Abbott has requested investigations into entities in Texas that he says may be acting as Sharia tribunals and presenting themselves as legal courts. In a letter sent to North Texas District Attorneys, Sheriffs, the Attorney General of Texas, and the Texas Department of Public Safety, Abbott raised concerns about possible criminal violations by these groups.
“It has come to my attention that certain entities in Texas—including in Collin and Dallas counties—may be masquerading as legal ‘courts’ staffed with ‘judges’ issuing orders that purportedly carry the authority to bind individuals to Islamic codes, thereby preempting state and federal laws,” Abbott wrote. “The U.S. Constitution’s religious protections provide no authority for religious courts to skirt state and federal laws simply by donning robes and pronouncing positions inconsistent with western civilization. I urge you, therefore, to investigate efforts by entities purporting to illegally enforce Sharia law in Texas. Legal disputes in Texas must be decided based on American law rooted in the fundamental principles of American due process, not according to Sharia law dispensed in modern day star chambers.”
Abbott’s letter specifically references activities reported in Collin and Dallas counties. He called for authorities at multiple levels of government to examine whether any organizations are attempting to enforce Islamic codes outside the bounds of state or federal law.
