Opinion R.J. Morales | TX3DNews
North Texans are dealing with traffic that won’t move, costs that keep rising, and growth that isn’t slowing down.
On top of that: high gas prices, rising health care costs, and an economy that hasn’t gotten any cheaper.
That’s what you’d hope your representative is paying attention to.
But Congressman Keith Self is focused on something else.
A more “urgent” concern—something you won’t hear anywhere unless someone just read the press release.
Something straight out of the Middle Ages.
That’s not a joke. That’s the premise behind his FAITH Act, which aims to prevent something called Jizya from being imposed on non-Muslims.
So What Are We Talking About Here?
Jizya is a historical concept—a centuries-old tax most people, Muslim or not, would have to Google to know what it is.
The press release presents it in stark terms—convert, pay, or die—citing Qur’an 9:29, and points to examples in Sub-Saharan Africa.
We were able to find a modern case—but it wasn’t in North Texas. It was in Taliban-controlled regions.
Those situations are real.
They are also thousands of miles away—in conflict zones run by armed groups and extremist, not city councils.
So unless Taliban fighters are riding down U.S. 75, making a stop at Buc-ee’s before going door to door with invoices and ultimatums, this isn’t exactly a North Texas issue.
And no—there are no reports, no cases, and no evidence of anything like this happening anywhere in the United States.
Meanwhile, Back Home in TX-03
In the communities Keith Self represents, people are focused on inflation, taxes, and the economy—not medieval tax systems.
Quick show of hands—how many people had even heard of Jizya before this press release?
Exactly.
And then, in the middle of the warning, comes this line:
“While formal jizya is not imposed by U.S. law…”
Even in his own press release, the Congressman acknowledges it’s not happening.
But then it shifts:
“…we are seeing growing attempts… including right here in Texas.”
We are seeing?
Who is “we”?
Because it’s not showing up in McKinney. Not in Plano, Allen, or Princeton. Not at city council meetings, HOA forums, or anywhere residents are actually talking about local issues.
So what are we left with?
A threat that’s urgent—but nowhere to be found.
At least not outside of Keith Self’s imagination.
And somehow, that’s what we’re supposed to take seriously.
Wait—This Part Almost Makes Sense
There’s a moment in the bill where you think—okay, maybe this is about something real.
It talks about stopping people from being pressured to pay money because of religion.
At first glance, that sounds reasonable.
Because in rare cases, that kind of pressure can cross a line.
So for a second, you think: is this actually addressing that?
But that’s not where it goes.
The bill zeroes in on “Sharia-compliant financial demands,” even invoking RICO to go after them.
Then it adds a clarification.
It “explicitly safeguards legitimate religious liberty” by allowing voluntary contributions from members.
Which is already legal. Already protected. Already how religious organizations operate.
So the part that sounds reasonable is already covered.
And the part being targeted is something no one can actually point to.
That’s where it starts to fall apart.
And at that point, you’re left wondering what the FAITH Act actually does—other than come with a very well-crafted acronym.
So What Are We Actually Solving?
Let’s just call this what it is.
This bill isn’t about gas prices, food prices, health care costs, education, or property taxes—the things people in North Texas are actually dealing with.
It’s about protecting you from a scenario where someone shows up and demands a religious tax… or else.
That’s the threat Congressman Keith Self wants you to worry about.
Not inflation. Not healthcare. Not even traffic.
Just let that sink in.
One Last Thought
There’s nothing wrong with protecting religious freedom. It’s one of the country’s core principles.
But when the focus is on an imaginary medieval tax system making a comeback—
when the justification is simply “we are seeing growing attempts,”
and when no one can point to actual evidence,
it raises a fair question about whether Congressman Keith Self is representing the concerns people in TX-03 are actually living with.
Editor’s Note: This is an opinion column. It critiques a policy proposal and its framing, not any religion or group of people. The author supports religious freedom and equal protection under the law for all.
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