'What are they trying to hide?': Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick vows to hold hearings on CAIR, 'preventing' Islamic law in Texas

Texas Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick says he will push forward with Senate hearings into concerns over Islamic law and a proposed Muslim-centric development in response to a letter from the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR).

Patrick, 75, announced last month he would hold task the Senate State Affairs Committee with holding a hearing on “Preventing Sharia Law in Texas” in response to entities such as the proposed East Plano Islamic Center (EPIC) development in Hunt and Collin counties, which has drawn criticism for plans to build a massive 400-acre complex with a mosque, shopping center and other developments.

On Tuesday, Patrick said his office received a letter from CAIR in response to his announcement of interim hearings. A post on Patrick’s official Facebook account read, "I will get to the bottom of the 'EPIC City' and 'Sharia Law' issues in Texas. Two weeks ago, I announced that the Senate would hold interim hearings. In response, we received this letter from an organization that the Governor has designated a foreign terrorist organization."

He added, "I will not back down to this group or any other organization that intends to undermine Texas law."

After sharing a link to the CAIR letter — but not the contents of the letter itself — Lt. Gov. Patrick added, “What are they trying to hide?”

Texas Gov. Greg Abbott signed a proclamation in November designating CAIR and the Muslim Brotherhood as foreign terrorist organizations under state law.

Patrick’s post included a link to a Feb. 9 letter from CAIR Texas which voiced concerns about what it called Patrick’s “unconstitutional” focus on the planned Senate committee hearings. The letter — which was signed only as “Council on American-Islamic Relations Texas (CAIR-TX)” — denied any effort to implement sharia and said the hearing “seeks to address a problem that does not exist.”

“There is no parallel judicial system operating in Texas. Judges are constitutionally bound, and any deviation would already be unlawful and subject to immediate judicial remedy,” the unsigned letter stated. “Because the legal system already functions exactly as described in the charge, the Texas state government repeatedly singling out Islamic religious practices and communities does not strengthen constitutional protections. Instead, it manufactures a fictional threat and then legislates against it.”

The letter also sought to further clarify the nature of sharia law, defining sharia as “an Arabic word meaning 'the way,' and in practice refers to a broad religious and ethical framework that guides Muslims in matters such as prayer, fasting, charity, honesty in business, family obligations, and moral conduct. 

CAIR compared sharia law — which in countries like Iran and Saudi Arabia can lead to punishment by death or mutilation — to the religious law of Christianity and Judaism. “Sharia plays the same role for Muslim Texans that canon law plays for Catholic Texans and halacha plays for Jewish Texans,” the letter stated. “None of these religious traditions override the Constitution, and none can be imposed on others."

Coinciding with Patrick’s announcement, Attorney General Ken Paxton announced an investigation into a proposed 2,300-acre "sustainable city" project in Kaufman County by Dubai-based SEE Holding, which he described as a "potentially unlawful 'sharia city' development." 

In a press release, Paxton stated: "There will be no 'sharia city' in Texas under my watch. While you’re on American soil, you will obey America’s laws. I have launched this investigation to determine the nature of this development in Kaufman County and will be thoroughly investigating this matter for any unlawful actions."