Islam and Sharia law became an unexpected focus of the Republican National Midterm Convention, as Texas' top Republicans used the national stage to warn voters about what they described as a growing threat.
U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz and Gov. Greg Abbott both addressed the issue Sept. 10 during speeches at the two-day Republican gathering in Dallas.
Cruz went after what he called a "red-green alliance" between communists and Islamists, arguing that the groups share a hostility toward Christianity, Judaism, capitalism and the U.S. Constitution. Abbott followed with a pledge to "fully ban Sharia law in Texas."
What did Cruz say about Islam?
Cruz devoted a portion of his Sept. 10 speech to what he described as a growing
alliance between the political left and Islamists. He said the groups are united by opposition to what he described as American values.
Cruz's remarks came on the eve of the25th anniversary of the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks, which also featured prominently at the convention.
The senator's comments connected contemporary political disagreements to the threat of radical jihadism, despite the distinction between Islam as a religion and Islamist political movements.
What did Abbott say about Sharia law?
Abbott also included Sharia law in his convention speech.
The Texas governor highlighted his administration's actions targeting what he describes as attempts to establish Islamic legal systems in Texas.
"We will fully ban Sharia law in Texas," Abbott told the Republican crowd.
Abbott has made the issue a priority in Texas politics over the past year, including his efforts targeting the Council on American-Islamic Relations, or CAIR, and his calls for investigations into alleged Sharia courts.
What are some examples of Sharia?
Sharia is a broad term for Islamic religious and ethical principles that can guide how Muslims live. It is not one universal legal code. Different Muslim scholars and legal traditions interpret it differently, and for many Muslims, sharia is primarily about personal religious practice and morality.
Examples can include:
- Prayer: Muslims may follow religious requirements to pray five times a day.
- Fasting: Muslims fast from dawn to sunset during Ramadan.
- Charity: Zakat is a form of required charitable giving for eligible Muslims.
- Diet: Islamic dietary rules include avoiding pork and alcohol and following halal practices.
- Marriage and family: Islamic jurisprudence includes principles concerning marriage, divorce and family responsibilities.
- Business and finance: Some interpretations prohibit certain forms of fraud, exploitation and interest, known as riba.
- Inheritance: Traditional Islamic jurisprudence includes rules for dividing an estate among certain heirs.
- Dress and modesty: Religious principles can include expectations about clothing and behavior.
- Criminal law: Some interpretations of Islamic jurisprudence include specific punishments for offenses such as theft, adultery, or apostasy. These provisions receive significant attention in political discussions about sharia, but they represent only one part of Islamic jurisprudence and are not applied uniformly across Muslim-majority countries.
Why is Sharia law a political issue in Texas?
Sharia refers broadly to Islamic religious principles and jurisprudence. It is not a single legal code followed identically by Muslims around the world.
For Muslims, Sharia can include religious practices, moral obligations and aspects of daily life. But it cannot replace American law.
Texas courts operate under the U.S. Constitution, federal law, and Texas law, and while religious organizations can offer voluntary religious guidance or dispute resolution, they cannot legally override a Texas court or state law.
Texas already has laws addressing the use of foreign law in its courts. In 2017, then-Gov. Greg Abbott signed House Bill 45, which established rules for handling foreign law and foreign judgments in certain family-law cases when constitutional rights or public policy could be at issue. The law does not specifically mention Sharia or Islam.
Do Texas Democrats support Sharia law?
Republicans have increasingly tied Democratic candidates to the debate over Sharia law, but there is no evidence that either Democratic nominee supports replacing Texas or U.S. law with Sharia.
In the governor's race, Abbott's campaign has criticized Democratic nominee Gina Hinojosa over her vote on House Bill 4211, saying she voted to allow "Sharia compounds" to continue developing in Texas.
"Gina Hinojosa has repeatedly favored radical foreign influences over the interests of Texans," said Catherine Frazier, Texans for Greg Abbott Communications Director, in a Sept. 10 campaign statement. "She voted in favor of Muslim-only compounds across Texas, supported dangerous foreign entities’ ability to infiltrate Texas, and backed open border policies that allowed foreign terrorists into America. Gina is more concerned with protecting terrorists and terrorist sympathizers than Texas families."
But the bill itself does not mention Sharia, Islam, or Muslims. HB 4211 regulates certain residential arrangements controlled by business entities and requires disputes involving those arrangements to be handled by courts established under Texas or U.S. law. It became law in June 2025.
In the Senate race, Republican attacks on Democratic nominee James Talarico have similarly focused on his views about religion. Talarico, a Presbyterian seminarian, has spoken about religious pluralism and learning from other faith traditions, including Islam. But there is no evidence that he supports Sharia as a governing legal system.
Cruz mentioned Talarico during his speech at the Republican midterm convention, grouping him with Democrats he portrayed as part of a broader movement aligned with Islamists.
Brandi D. Addison covers weather across the nation as the Weather Connect reporter for the USA TODAY Network and contributes to Texas Connect coverage across the state. She can be reached at baddison@usatodayco.com. Follow her on Facebook here.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Sharia law becomes unexpected focus at Texas GOP midterm convention
