A Houston imam launched what he called “Sharia patrols” this weekend, warning Muslim-owned stores they have 30 days to stop selling “haraam” (forbidden under Islamic law) products such as alcohol, pork, and gambling — or face demonstrations.

Imam F. Qasim ibn Ali Khan entered a convenience store, greeted the owner, and delivered his ultimatum in a video shared on X. “You know as a merchant you have every legal right to sell whatever you want, but as Muslim I have the responsibility to educate people,” he said.

Khan, who describes himself as a community educator, focused on Muslim-owned businesses. He told sellers they could keep current stock but must stop future sales of haraam items. “A Muslim shouldn’t sell haraam. There’s alcohol, pork, gambling all against Islam,” he said. “In about 30 days we’re going to start doing demonstrations around the city. We gotta give the dawah and tell everyone the truth about Islam.”

The video, first shared by Right Angle News Network on X, spread quickly with over 4 million views by Monday morning.

Public reaction came swiftly. One X user tagged Gov. Greg Abbott: “No one comes to Texas and tries to enforce foreign law on American soil. You don’t like pork, booze, or freedom? Pack your bags.” Another wrote, “Imagine thinking Sharia law overrides Texas BBQ law.”

This is not Khan’s first such campaign. In May, he posted similar videos confronting Muslim business owners about “haraam sales.”

Houston has a Muslim population estimated at more than 200,000. Khan’s door-to-door campaign has drawn growing attention.

Texas lawmakers have repeatedly introduced measures to prevent foreign legal systems from influencing state law. In 2017, anti-Sharia rallies drew crowds in North Texas. More recently, CAIR-Texas organized a rally at the state Capitol urging Muslims to counter extremism.

Gov. Abbott’s office has not commented. U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, responded on X: “Sharia law has no force in America. This religious harassment is outrageous. And it likely violates multiple federal & state laws.” Abbott previously backed measures to block Sharia influence in Texas courts, underscoring the political tension, as previously reported by The Dallas Express.

Khan frames his efforts as dawah, a peaceful invitation to Islam. Detractors call it coercion. Business owners say they will continue selling what customers demand.