The Texas chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR-Texas) and CAIR Action Texas today condemned the blatant anti-Muslim hate rhetoric, and exclusionary platform proposals and targeted religious and ethnic harassment targeting Muslim Texans during the 2026 Republican Party of Texas (RPT) state convention held in Houston.
During the biennial gathering, multiple registered Muslim delegates faced public harassment, hostile demands to renounce their faith and institutional efforts to change internal rules to expel them from the floor because of their faith. Notably, Muslim delegate Mohamed Hussein was publicly harassed and explicitly told by fellow attendees that he must either convert to Christianity or leave the country.
SEE: Muslims at Texas GOP Convention told to leave party, country – The Texas Tribune
This hostility turned directly institutional during a convention luncheon titled “Don’t Sharia My Texas,” which featured a presentation slide explicitly defaming Texas’s first and only Muslim state legislators, State Representatives Salman Bhojani and Dr. Suleman Lalani. The slide displayed the faces of both elected public servants under the text: “TEXAS OR PAKISTAN? YOUR STATE IS BEING RADICALLY TRANSFORMED!”
SEE: Texas or Pakistan? Your State is Being Radically Transformed! – Robert Downen via X
In a joint statement, CAIR-Texas and CAIR Action Texas said:
“What we witnessed at the convention was a dangerous normalization of anti-Muslim hate that undermines the foundational American principles of religious freedom and democratic representation. Texas is our home. Texan Muslims, like all Texans, have an inherent right to participate in our democracy. Weaponizing conspiracy theories and pushing platform language that selectively restricts the religious liberties of one faith group fundamentally undermines the rule of law and the constitutional liberties of all Texans. Hate and exclusion are not winning strategies.
“We call upon all elected officials, regardless of political party, to stand on principle and publicly condemn this toxic rhetoric. Leaders from across the political spectrum must make it clear that religious bigotry and the institutional targeting of public servants and grassroots residents have absolutely no place in Texas politics.”
CAIR-Texas and CAIR Action Texas added that while this dangerous bigotry inflicts real harm on local communities, it is also a transparent attempt by party leadership to mask their failure to address the core demands of the state.
While convention delegates focused heavily on targeting Muslims, including passing platform amendments to restrict daily prayer time and oppose halal food accommodations, Texas families continue to face severe, unaddressed infrastructure and economic challenges, including a precarious electric grid, skyrocketing property taxes, and underfunded public resources. Resorting to state-sanctioned hate is a weak attempt to evade accountability for the real issues impacting everyday Texans.
Furthermore, CAIR-Texas and CAIR Action Texas condemned party leadership for dragging the civil rights organization into bad-faith political attacks to justify institutional discrimination. Newly elected Texas GOP Chair D’rinda Randall targeted the organization by labeling CAIR a “radical organization connected to terrorists.”
CAIR-Texas and CAIR Action Texas also reject this defamation, counter-stating that the organization and its affiliates are being explicitly targeted by party leadership for their vocal opposition to Israel’s genocide in Gaza. This hostility was institutionalized on Friday when convention committees passed an unprecedented rules change allowing the Credentials Committee to vote to remove future delegates based on alleged ties to a “terrorist organization”—a dangerous mechanism designed to penalize and silence mainstream advocacy and dissent critical of the Israeli government.
CAIR-Texas’s mission is to protect civil rights, enhance understanding of Islam, promote justice, and empower American Muslims. As a 501(c)3 nonprofit, CAIR-Texas does not endorse or oppose candidates for office and makes no claims as to the favorability of one candidate being elected over another.
La misión de CAIR-Texas es proteger las libertades civiles, mejorar la comprensión del Islam, promover la justicia, y empoderar a los musulmanes en los Estados Unidos.
CAIR Action is a 501(c)(4) advocacy organization dedicated to engaging, educating, and mobilizing Muslim voters, training emerging leaders, and advancing policy priorities that improve community well-being and representation.
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CONTACT: CAIR-Texas Civic Engagement Organizer Sameeha Rizvi, 512-893-1371, srizvi@cair.com; CAIR Action Communications, media@cairaction.org; CAIR-DFW Executive Director Mustafaa Carroll, (832) 549-1042, mcarroll@cair.com; CAIR-Austin Operations Manager Shaimaa Zayan, (512) 785-7105, szayan@cair.com;CAIR National Board Member John T. Floyd, 713-254-2016, jfloyd@cair.com