A hearing led by the House Judiciary Subcommittee on the Constitution and Limited Government, chaired by Rep. Chip Roy (R-TX), warned against the influence of Sharia Law in the United States, an idea that was dismissed by Democrat lawmakers.
Ranking Member Jamie Raskin (D-MD) called the hearing “completely unnecessary,” claiming that it was “another distraction from the Administration’s cover-up of the Epstein files and the continuing brutal violation of people’s constitutional rights in Minneapolis.”
Instead, Raskin argued that “anything illegitimate or discriminatory that our colleagues would want to selectively impose on Muslims is, conversely, a violation of the Free Exercise Clause and also forbidden by the Constitution.”
Meanwhile, Roy stated in his opening remarks that “principles of Sharia are at odds with the Constitution and the laws of the United States.” He added, “Let’s be clear, this is not about having the freedom of worshiping a religion of one’s choosing, such as Islam, but forcing a foreign legal code that is incompatible with our laws and legal system that provides unwanted consequences to the American people. It’s everything we’ve fought against for more than 250 years.”
The hearing comes as Texas has taken efforts to reduce the influence of Sharia Law and Islam in the state. Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton launched an investigation into a “sharia city” development in Kaufman County, Texas. Governor Greg Abbott (R-TX) sent a letter to Paxton, the North Texas District Attorneys and Sheriffs, and the Texas Department of Public Safety, warning them that Sharia tribunals may be violating the law.
Roy also introduced a bill in October preventing those adhering to Sharia Law from entering the United States. The bill, called Preserving A Sharia-Free America Act, amends the Immigration and Nationality Act to “prohibit the entry of aliens who adhere to Sharia law and for other purposes.”
