Abbott calls for investigations into Texas entities 'purporting to illegally enforce Sharia law'

Texas Gov. Greg Abbott on Wednesday called on state and local officials to investigate what he described as “entities purporting to illegally enforce Sharia law in Texas,” singling out the Islamic Tribunal in Dallas and raising concerns about the potential operation of unauthorized courts.

In a letter addressed to district attorneys and sheriffs in Dallas and Collin counties, as well as Attorney General Ken Paxton and Texas Department of Public Safety Director Freeman Martin, Abbott argued that certain groups may be “masquerading as legal ‘courts’ staffed with ‘judges’ issuing orders that purportedly carry the authority to bind individuals to Islamic codes, thereby preempting state and federal laws.”

Abbott specifically identified the Islamic Tribunal, which has operated in the Dallas area since at least 2015. In his letter, he said the tribunal “purports to exercise jurisdiction over all aspects of life—even over non-ecclesiastical legal disputes—and to subject them to ‘Islamic Jurisprudence and its Shari’ah or Law.’”

The Islamic Tribunal publicly describes itself as a mediation and arbitration body designed to serve Muslim communities in the United States. Its website states that “there is no secularism or detachment from the tenets of faith and all Islamic injunctions in regards to the legal field,” explaining that common issues brought before the group may involve “marriage and divorce, as well as disputes among community members and those in positions of leadership.”

The organization emphasizes that its proceedings “must be conducted in accordance with the law of the land; local, state and federal within the United States,” adding that mediation can be used to resolve disputes “in a manner that is reasonable and cost effective” while still adhering to both Shari’ah principles and applicable U.S. legal standards. The website also notes that decisions are subject to “the final approval of the relevant courts and judges.”

The tribunal describes itself as “a unique institution of its kind in the United States of America” created with the intention of setting “a precedence that will be emulated and duplicated throughout the country.” At the same time, it provides a “general disclaimer” stating that it “does not provide legal advice and the Islamic Tribunal is not a law firm. None of our members are lawyers and they also do not provide legal advice.”

Despite those disclaimers, Abbott argued in his letter that Texans should not be subject to any legal rulings outside of American judicial standards. “Legal disputes in Texas must be decided based on American law rooted in the fundamental principles of American due process, not according to Sharia law dispensed in modern day star chambers,” the governor said.

The investigative call is the latest step in Abbott’s recent series of actions focused on Islamic organizations in Texas. On Tuesday, he issued a proclamation labeling the Muslim Brotherhood and the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) as “foreign terrorist organizations and transnational criminal organizations.”

Abbott has also launched multiple investigations into the East Plano Islamic Center’s large-scale residential development, known as “EPIC City,” in the Dallas–Fort Worth area. The governor has not provided details about the status of those investigations, but they mark a continued focus on how Islamic institutions operate within the state.

Local officials in Dallas and Collin counties have not yet publicly indicated how they plan to respond to the governor’s request. The Islamic Tribunal has not issued a public statement in reaction to Abbott’s letter.

As the inquiries move forward, the situation sets up what could become a significant test of how religious arbitration bodies—common in many faith communities, including Jewish and Christian institutions—operate alongside state and federal law in Texas.