TX3DNews Editorial
At Rep. Keith Self’s recent Allen town hall, the first audience question urged him to “stop Sharia law” and asked whether hijabs should be banned. Instead of correcting the misconception, Self embraced it—casting Sharia as an ideological threat and later repeating claims about American cities being “conquered,” without evidence or context.
Days later, he doubled down online, declaring on November 23: “I’m proud to stand on the front line in the fight against Sharia in America… This isn’t just politics. This is a fight for the soul of Western civilization.”
The issue now is not just whether these claims are accurate. It is whether this message resonates in a suburban, highly educated, rapidly diversifying district—or whether it reflects a deeper political strategy built on fear rather than policy.
What Sharia Actually Is — And What Politicians Pretend It To Be
Dr. Taha Ansari, a local Muslim leader, captures the issue clearly: “Politicians in America have weaponized the phrase ‘Sharia law’ as a political scare tactic… making Muslim Americans appear foreign or incompatible with American values despite being an integral part of the nation’s fabric.”
He notes what political rhetoric routinely ignores: Sharia is not a civil legal code. “The word sharia simply means ‘the path’ in Arabic,” he explains—a moral and spiritual framework guiding prayer, charity, and ethical conduct, much like biblical principles for Christians or halakha for Jews. It is personal guidance, not something imposed on others. And, as Ansari emphasizes, “Muslims are obligated to follow the law of the land under Sharia.”
There is no theological mandate or political movement seeking to impose a religious court system in North Texas. The idea persists because it is politically useful, not because it is real.
But the consequences are real. Claims that “Sharia law” is overtaking America fuel harassment, suspicion of hijabs and mosques, and the marginalization of Muslim families—many long-rooted in Collin County. In communities with significant Muslim populations in Allen, Plano, Frisco, and McKinney, what begins as a talking point becomes a lived reality.
When Legislation Becomes Performance
Evan Hunt argues that Self’s approach to HR 5722 reveals a larger strategy: using Sharia as a political scare narrative. “In America, we do not fear or demonize other cultures—we welcome them,” he wrote, contrasting national values with Self’s rhetoric. Hunt says the bill “tries to solve a problem that does not exist,” warning that it fuels Islamophobia while diverting attention from issues that actually affect North Texas families.
Proponents, including Self and Rep. Chip Roy, claim the measure targets foreign extremists misusing asylum rules, not Muslim Americans. But legal scholars note the rationale mirrors earlier anti-Sharia efforts struck down in court and rests on the same unfounded premise that Islam itself poses a special threat.
In practice, the bill’s vague references to “Sharia influence” reinforce the notion that Islamic belief is inherently suspect—amplifying fear rather than addressing any real policy challenge in TX-03.
Does This Rhetoric Actually Work in TX-03?
The district is still reliably Republican, but its population has changed dramatically—more diverse, more suburban, and more focused on practical issues like schools, healthcare, infrastructure, and the economy. In that context, it’s far from obvious that culture-war fear-mongering speaks to the concerns of most residents..
Self’s rhetoric may animate a slice of the GOP base, but is it growing his coalition? Is it addressing any real local problem? Is it aligned with what residents actually want their representatives to focus on? Or is it simply the safest message in an environment that rewards escalation over governance?
The Founders Rejected Religious Exclusion — Modern Leaders Should Too
Even Thomas Jefferson rejected this logic more than two centuries ago. In his 1777 draft of the Virginia Statute for Religious Freedom, he wrote that “neither Pagan nor Mahometan nor Jew ought to be excluded from the civil rights of the commonwealth because of his religion.” Religious liberty was central to the American project, not an afterthought.
Dr. Taha Ansari makes a similar point today, warning that modern rhetoric turns Islam into a manufactured threat—weaponizing Sharia and casting Muslim Americans as foreign despite being part of the nation’s fabric. That framing is exactly what Jefferson opposed and remains inconsistent with constitutional protections.
That standard still applies. At the Allen town hall, Self could have affirmed that hijabs are protected by the First Amendment and that Muslim families are a longstanding part of North Texas. Instead, he imported nationalized culture-war rhetoric into a local setting where it lands directly on residents.
TX-03 Deserves More Than Fear-Based Politics
Collin County is not the caricature such rhetoric assumes. It is a sophisticated suburban district with global businesses, world-class schools, and a rapidly expanding immigrant community that strengthens the region.
The district deserves conversations grounded in facts, not fabricated threats. It deserves representation willing to engage real issues—not imagined cultural battles. And above all, it deserves leaders who understand that diversity is not a civilizational threat; it is the defining characteristic of modern North Texas.