A new round of scrutiny over the Council on American‑Islamic Relations is prompting House Freedom Caucus member Chip Roy of Texas to highlight the work of the Sharia Free America Caucus, which he co‑founded last fall.
Roy said recent developments underscore why the caucus exists and why Congress should examine what he described as efforts to advance Sharia law in the United States.
A House Judiciary subcommittee is preparing for a hearing titled “Sharia‑Free America: Why Political Islam and Sharia Law Are Incompatible With the U.S. Constitution, Part II.”
Roy chairs the Subcommittee on the Constitution and Limited Government, which will host the session.
The Texas Congressman told The Daily Signal, “Sharia law has no place in the United States, and these hearings are about exposing it, defending the rule of law, and protecting the values that make America strong.”
The upcoming hearing follows a February session that examined whether Sharia law conflicts with Western civilization and constitutional principles. Roy said the earlier hearing revealed concerning trends.
“In our first hearing this February, we exposed how Sharia law and Islam are being pushed,” he told the outlet. He said the new session will “highlight new incidents unfolding throughout our nation and examine the role organizations like CAIR play in promoting and funding these efforts. Islam is incompatible with Western civilization.”
A federal judge recently ordered CAIR’s Texas chapter to turn over a list of foreign donors and documentation of overseas travel by one of its officials.
The order came after allegations that the group supported a controversial housing development in Texas that lawmakers said would enforce Sharia law.
Roy has previously accused CAIR of having a “30‑year history replete with associating with terrorist groups and individuals who want to undermine the security and values of the U.S. and its allies.”
Roy also introduced legislation to designate CAIR as a Specially Designated Terrorist Organization.
He told The Daily Signal that the group “has harbored ties to terrorist organizations including Hamas, the Muslim Brotherhood, and other extremist groups while operating under the guise of a nonprofit and reaping the benefits of 501(c)(3) tax status.”
The Sharia Free America Caucus emerged in the fall, when Roy and Keith Self of Texas formed the group to oppose what they described as efforts to advance Sharia law. The caucus now includes more than 65 members from both chambers of Congress.
Members delivered floor speeches in March after a series of deadly attacks carried out by radical Islamists who pledged allegiance to Iran and ISIS.
During those remarks, Roy read from a 1991 Muslim Brotherhood memorandum that he said outlined a strategy of “civilization jihad” against Western nations.
According to Roy, the document states, “Their work in America is a kind of grand jihad in eliminating and destroying Western civilization from within. The process of settlement is a civilization jihadist.”
CAIR responded to the caucus by labeling it an extremist organization in a public statement. The group wrote, “This is the first time in CAIR’s 32-year history that the organization has designated a congressional caucus as an extremist organization.”
The subcommittee hearing is scheduled to take place Tuesday as lawmakers prepare additional inquiries into the issues raised by Roy and other members.
