Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton demanded documents from a Dallas-based Islamic Tribunal as part of an investigation into its alleged imposition of Sharia law.
Paxton’s office sent a Request to Examine (RTE) notice to the group. The Islamic Tribunal faces accusations of making judicial rulings based on Sharia law, seeking to replace actual courts and evade neutral state and federal laws.
The entity claims jurisdiction over all aspects of Muslim life in Texas. It reportedly imposes Sharia law on disputes among Texas Muslims and “falsely represents that its decisions are final judgements with ‘the approval of the Texas Judicial system,’” per Paxton’s press release.
The First Amendment protects religious institutions’ rights to self-governance. However, Paxton’s office states that such rights do not permit a religious organization to act as a court, apply foreign laws that conflict with Texas or federal law, or issue rulings that imply government authority, which violates Texas law.
The investigation aims to determine if the Islamic Tribunal engages in illegal activity.
“Anyone or any entity that seeks to subvert the codified state and federal laws of this country will be stopped dead in their tracks,” said Paxton. “If the Islamic Tribunal is undermining the rule of law or misleading Texans about the legal authority it claims to hold, my office will ensure its operation is shut down. This is America, and we will not be governed by Sharia law.”
