Texas Muslims Face Rising Islamophobia Ahead of US Midterms
The final stretch of the United States midterm campaign has been marked by growing Islamophobia, or prejudice against Muslims, Al Jazeera reported. The national vote takes place on November 3, and the report focuses on how Muslims in Texas are weighing local stakes.
Muslims make up less than two percent of Texas's population. At the Republican Midterm Convention in Dallas, Texas Governor Greg Abbott said, "We will fully ban Sharia Law in Texas." Sharia is Islamic religious law. Senator Ted Cruz also spoke at the convention.
Anti-Islam language has been part of Texas politics for months. In August, the Texas Tribune reported that Texas Republicans had condemned "sharia law" as a dangerous system of extremist Islamic rules. The same month, the state education board finalized a rewrite of high school social studies lessons. In October, Dallas Morning News reported that Texas politicians had campaigned on banning Shariah during the 2026 election cycle.
In June, the Texas Tribune reported that Muslim delegates and attendees who hoped to take part in the Texas Republican Party convention were shunned and rejected by members. In September, the paper reported that Texas Muslims had pushed back against a rise in anti-Islam rhetoric from Republicans.
Muslims in Frisco, a city north of Dallas, voted early in the Texas midterms amid concerns about Islamophobia, according to a Yahoo News report by Angela Mathew published on October 25.
In Houston, the Islamic Society of Greater Houston oversees more than 30 mosques. Its president, Emran Gazi, leads the group, which has expanded voter registration drives in 2026. The society does not endorse specific candidates.
