The Council on American-Islamic Relation (CAIR), the nation’s largest Muslim civil rights and advocacy organization, today called on Texas Governor Greg Abbott to launch an investigation into potential civil rights violations by the Texas funeral commission.
CAIR’s call comes after news reports revealed that in May Texas Funeral Service Commission Presiding Officer Kristin Tips shared anti-Muslim content with the former executive director of the commission Scott Bingaman. The content, a graphic full of misrepresentations about Islam, prompted Bingaman to respond, “Not a fan… tough to be tolerant when taught hate.”
Earlier this year, Abbott alleged the East Plano Islamic Center (EPIC) had performed funeral services in violation of Texas law as part of a broad attack he launched on EPIC City, a Muslim-led development project. On March 26, the commission issued a press release saying it was acting against EPIC. EPIC in turn sued the commission “claiming it is selectively enforcing rules on Muslim burial rites at the group’s mosque at the behest of state leaders.”
The commission currently faces two other lawsuits and recently saw Bingaman fired. Bingaman has alleged that Tips was “using her position to improperly lobby for funeral company interests at the Capitol,” according to the Houston Chronicle.
SEE: Texas Funeral Services Commission appoints interim leader for agency in turmoil
SEE ALSO: Head of Texas funeral commission shared anti-Islam media, pictures of Muslim state rep in texts
“Governor Abbott was very free with launching investigations targeting Muslims and has shared Islamophobic content from at least two social media accounts,” said CAIR Research and Advocacy Director Corey Saylor. “He should now be transparent with Texans and open the books to an impartial investigator because the current picture we have is that anti-Muslim hate drove his attack on EPIC City and possibly influenced the funeral service commission as well.”
SEE: CAIR Report “Epic Hate in Texas”
BACKGROUND:
Earlier this year, Governor Greg Abbott alleged the East Plano Islamic Center had performed funeral services in violation of Texas law, however KERA reported, “EPIC did have a license, which expired in 2022. But the mosque’s website shows it partners with Rahma Funeral Homes to provide funeral services — which is licensed and has been since 2004, according to the state’s Online Licensing System.” By mid-July, the Texas Funeral Services Commission (TFSC) wrote to EPIC saying, “If TFSC received credible information suggesting that any of the aforementioned [funerary] activities are being performed in a manner not in compliance with Texas law, we will notify your counsel promptly…” The “if” implies no such evidence has been received since the investigation began.
Earlier this month, CAIR released an analysis of the fearmongering led by Texas Governor Greg Abbott and anti-Muslim campaigner Amy Mek around a Muslim-led development project, EPIC City.
The analysis places the attack in the context of both a continuing tradition of Texas political figures engaging in anti-Muslim actions and a broader national pattern of fearmongering around Muslim-led development projects.
Among other content in the analysis, CAIR’s researchers found:
- Texas Governor Abbott reshared hateful content from at least two anti-Muslim social media accounts. While he deleted the first, originally authored by anti-Muslim campaigner Amy Mek, the second remained on his account at the time this analysis was published. The second post says, “Islam is a militant ideology cloaked in religious rhetoric, with a clear mandate to destroy the west.”
- Mek claims there are already “Sharia-adherent lifestyle zone(s)” in Texas, in part because of park signs in some neighborhoods “with Islamic behavioral rules like ‘no alcohol’ and ‘no loud music.’ According to the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department’s official rules of conduct in parks, it is prohibited to consume, display, or sell alcohol in Texas State parks. The department says it is also an offense to “create a disturbance capable of negatively affecting other park users by causing excessive noise by any means.”
CAIR’s mission is to protect civil rights, enhance understanding of Islam, promote justice, and empower American Muslims.
La misión de CAIR es proteger las libertades civiles, mejorar la comprensión del Islam, promover la justicia, y empoderar a los musulmanes en los Estados Unidos.
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CONTACT: Shaimaa Zayan, CAIR-TX Austin Operations Manager, szayan@cair.com, 512-785-7105; CAIR National Deputy Director Edward Ahmed Mitchell, 404-285-9530, e-Mitchell@cair.com; CAIR Government Affairs Director Robert McCaw, 202-742-6448, rmccaw@cair.com; CAIR National Communications Director Ibrahim Hooper, 202-744-7726, ihooper@cair.com; CAIR National Communications Manager Ismail Allison, 202-770-6280, iallison@cair.com