AUSTIN, Texas — Gov. Greg Abbott intensified his campaign against what he calls “sharia law” in Texas, directing North Texas law enforcement officials on Wednesday to investigate religious tribunals he claims may be operating outside state and federal law. His letter follows a proclamation issued Tuesday labeling the Muslim Brotherhood and the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) as “foreign terrorist and transnational organizations.”
Abbott’s directive specifically referenced the Islamic Tribunal, a mediation and non-binding arbitration service that aims to resolve certain family disputes within the Muslim community. The tribunal handles religious aspects of divorce and refers all civil matters to Texas courts, similar to long-established Catholic and Jewish mediation structures.
In his statement, Abbott argued that “religious courts” have no authority to “skirt state and federal laws,” adding that Texas must ensure no entity “masquerades as legal courts” while claiming powers they do not possess.
A representative for Dr. Taher Elbadawi, founder of the Islamic Tribunal, condemned the governor’s comments, calling them “factually and legally incorrect” and accusing Abbott of trying to “stoke fear and discrimination against Muslims.” The response emphasized that religious mediation is constitutionally protected and has existed in the United States for more than two centuries.
The statement noted that the tribunal’s work remains fully subject to Texas law and that its rulings carry no civil legal force without court review.
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