Texas bans Sharia law after viral clip of Muslim cleric's threat causes stir

Texas governor Greg Abbott has announced a ban on Sharia Law in the state over a viral video that showed an imam pressuring Muslim-owned shops to stop selling pork, alcohol, and lottery tickets.

In a statement on Tuesday, Abbott said, "I signed laws that ban Sharia Law and Sharia Compounds in Texas. No business and no individual should fear fools like this."

The governor said that anyone attempting to impose Sharia law should be reported immediately. "If this person, or anyone, attempts to impose Sharia compliance, report it to local law enforcement or the Texas Department of Public Safety," Abbott said.

VIRAL VIDEO SPARKS CONTROVERSY

The controversy began when Imam F. Qasim ibn Ali Khan of Masjid At-Tawhid was filmed confronting a store owner and accused the shop of selling items deemed forbidden under Islamic law, known as haram.

In the clip, Khan said that they were violating their faith by offering pork, alcohol, and gambling products. "This is the beginning of the campaign. We’re serving notice to America and the world that enough is enough," he said in the viral video clip.

Khan launched a campaign to pressure Muslim-owned businesses, warning that non-compliance would lead to boycotts.

The Council on American-Islamic Relations (Cair) criticised Abbott’s move, accusing him of spreading unnecessary fear.

Cair clarified that the term sharia simply means "the way to water" and likened it to Halacha in Judaism or Canon law in Catholicism.

However, Abbott did not specify which legislation was used to enforce the ban. In 2017, he signed a bill prohibiting judges from applying foreign legal codes -- including Islamic law -- in state courtrooms.

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