Congressman Keith Self’s claim of a looming “Sharia takeover” of Texas is not just false — it is a textbook example of racialized fear-mongering dressed up as patriotism.
Self did not cite intelligence reports.
He did not cite court rulings.
He did not cite law enforcement findings, academic research, or even named witnesses.
Instead, he relied on a 16-year-old secondhand anecdote involving an unnamed Muslim shopkeeper, relayed through a pastor, with no documentation and no corroboration — and presented it to the public as evidence of a civilizational threat.
That is not leadership.
That is not vigilance.
That is xenophobia masquerading as concern.
What Sharia Law Actually Is
Sharia is a religious and ethical framework that guides how some Muslims practice their faith in personal matters such as:
Prayer
Charity
Fasting
Family obligations
It is not a shadow legal system secretly replacing American law.
Sharia functions in the same way:
Biblical teachings guide Christians
Halakha guides Jewish religious life
None of these religious frameworks have the power to override U.S. law.
The Constitutional Reality Self Ignores
In the United States:
The U.S. Constitution is the supreme law of the land
Federal and state courts enforce secular law
No religious system can override constitutional authority
There is no legal or political mechanism for a “Sharia takeover”
None.
Zero.
Not theoretically, not practically, not secretly.
Any suggestion otherwise is either gross ignorance of civics or deliberate deception.
Why Keith Self’s Claim Is Racist in Effect — and Function
Self did not warn Texans about a policy proposal or legal loophole.
He warned them about Muslims as a group.
By framing Muslim immigration, Muslim communities, and Muslim religious life as an organized plot to “dominate Texas,” Self engaged in the same logic historically used to demonize:
Catholics
Jews
Japanese Americans
Black civil rights organizers
The pattern is always the same:
Strip a group of individuality
Cast them as foreign and threatening
Suggest secret coordination
Demand fear and suspicion
This is not concern for law.
It is collective suspicion based on religion and ethnicity.
The Evidence Is Not Just Weak — It’s Nonexistent
There is:
No investigation confirming such a plan
No intelligence assessment supporting the claim
No criminal prosecutions
No court cases
No legislation advancing Sharia authority
No verified migration data indicating coordinated religious conquest
Self’s accusation collapses under the slightest scrutiny.
Why This Is Dangerous
When a sitting member of Congress amplifies baseless conspiracy theories about a religious minority:
Hate crimes increase
Communities are stigmatized
Democratic discourse degrades
Trust in institutions erodes
This is not hypothetical. History is clear.
Bottom Line
Keith Self did not “raise concerns.”
He manufactured fear.
He did not defend the Constitution.
He demonstrated he does not understand it.
He did not protect Texas.
He demeaned Texans — especially Muslim Texans — by treating them as suspects instead of citizens.
This was not a warning.
It was a smear.
Keith Self must be primaried and voted out if he makes it to the General Election. There is no room for racism or xenophobia in leadership.
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