Politics
Texas Muslims Push for Voter Turnout Amid Rising Islamophobia Ahead of Midterms
In the final weeks of the U.S. midterm elections, Texas Muslims are confronting a wave of Islamophobia that they say stems from state politicians’ rhetoric and policies. The climate of prejudice, highlighted by the campaign of Michigan Democratic Senate hopeful Abdul El‑Sayed, has been building in Texas for years. Even without a Muslim candidate on a statewide ballot, voters say the stakes are highly local.
Samir Nadjam, a Houston lawyer, said the impact is most felt through his children. "As adults we can pick and choose who we associate with," he told Al Jazeera. "But kids, they all go to school together and you’ll have certain families who watch certain news. And kids will say things, just off‑putting things."
Muslims make up less than two percent of Texas’s population, but community organizers hope a surge in turnout could shift the electoral balance. Many voters expressed a desire to show that they are not a political target. "Muslims are pushed out. They are discriminated [against] everywhere," said Emran Gazi, president of the Islamic Society of Greater Houston, which oversees more than 30 mosques. The society expanded voter registration drives this year, urging members to vote according to their conscience.
The Republican Party’s messaging has focused on the idea that ‘Sharia’ poses a threat to Texans. Governor Greg Abbott said at the Republican Midterm Convention in Dallas that Texas would ban Sharia law. Senator Ted Cruz echoed the sentiment. In June the state Republican platform, titled "Don’t Sharia my Texas," called for criminal punishment, disqualification from public service, denaturalization, and deportation of those who support Sharia. Texas legislators formed the "Sharia‑free Texas Caucus" in March, which now has 38 members in the 150‑seat chamber.
No jurisdiction in Texas or the United States has enacted Islamic law. "In real life, nobody’s hating on everyone as much as they’re making it seem to be," said Sarah Dabbas, a 33‑year‑old physician who recently moved to Houston. She added that the government has never imposed Muslim law.
State officials have cited a handful of cases, such as a company developing a Muslim‑centered housing project and groups overseeing voluntary Islamic arbitration, to argue that Islamic law is encroaching. The Bridge Initiative, a Georgetown University‑based Islamophobia tracker, notes that politicians increasingly portray ordinary Muslim civic life as a threat.
The climate has also affected prominent Republican Muslims. At the Republican Party of Texas Convention in June, outgoing party chair Abraham George told two Muslim delegates they should leave the party. A state senator told a panel that Muslims were "required by Sharia to lie" to fly below the radar. The governor has sought to label CAIR Texas as a foreign terrorist organization, and the attorney general has sued CAIR, which has sued the governor for constitutional violations.
A Muslim Republican who attended the convention described the experience as "very hurtful". He said he identifies with Republican business and family values but will exclude some Republican candidates from his ballot.
Local organizers note the difficulty of translating dismay into statewide political action. Sania Rahim of the Coalition for Peace, Relief, and Equity highlighted the diversity of Muslims in Houston and the state, noting that many do not speak Arabic. Muslim voters are generally more engaged in local politics than statewide races.
The Texas Board of Education’s recent approval of a high‑school curriculum that critics say focuses on "radical Islam" and misrepresents the prophet Muhammad has energized the community. Sameeha Rizvi, a CAIR civic engagement organizer, urged voters to register and vote, saying that voting is the clearest way to make Texas safer for families.