Texas Investigating Islamic Tribunal For Allegedly Operating Sharia Law Court

Authored by Darlene McCormick Sanchez via The Epoch Times (emphasis ours),

Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton announced Monday an investigation into a Dallas-based group accused of operating as a sharia law court.

​In a press release, Paxton said he requested documents from the group, known as the Islamic Tribunal, regarding allegations that it was issuing rulings based on sharia law.

According to the release, the Islamic Tribunal has “reportedly sought to replace actual courts of law and to evade neutral, generally applicable state and federal laws.”

Paxton warned, “Anyone or any entity that seeks to subvert the codified state and federal laws of this country will be stopped dead in their tracks. If the Islamic Tribunal is undermining the rule of law or misleading Texans about the legal authority it claims to hold, my office will ensure its operation is shut down.”

​“This is America, and we will not be governed by sharia law,” he added.

The Epoch Times reached out to the Islamic Tribunal for comment.

The organization described itself on its website in April 2025 as a “unique institution” in America. It said its 2014 establishment aimed “to set a precedence [sic] that will be emulated and duplicated throughout the country.”

The organization has since changed the wording on its website, saying it wanted to clarify its operations amid the controversy.

“The Islamic Tribunal wishes to clarify the nature of its work in light of recent public statements,” the group stated. “The Tribunal does not function as a court of law and does not issue legally binding judgments.”

​The website noted the group’s role was limited to mediation and religious arbitration requested by members of the Muslim community.

​“Our experienced imams are here to listen, support, and offer faith-based, non-binding spiritual guidance to anyone seeking clarity or comfort. We provide a welcoming and confidential space rooted in Islamic ethics and in full respect of U.S. and Texas law.”

​Paxton claims the Islamic Tribunal asserts jurisdiction over all aspects of Muslim life, seeks to impose sharia law for Texas Muslims’ disputes, and misrepresents its decisions as final judgments endorsed by the Texas judicial system.

​While the First Amendment allows religious organizations the right to govern themselves, it doesn’t allow a religious organization to act as a court, apply foreign laws that conflict with Texas or federal law, or issue rulings that imply government authority, according to Paxton.

​Doing so would violate Texas law, he added.

The demand for documents is the latest move in targeting what many fear as the establishment of Muslim enclaves and sharia law, which is based on the religion of Islam.

​Paxton has taken a series of legal actions against Islamic groups and Muslim-centric developments in recent months. In December, he filed a lawsuit against a 400-acre Muslim enclave known as EPIC City, named after the East Plano Islamic Center, which is one of its developers.

​EPIC’s developers have denied an intent to establish sharia law or break fair housing laws.

​In the previous year, Gov. Greg Abbott signed House Bill 4211 and Senate Bill 17 into law. The first bans residential property developers from creating exclusionary compounds, and specifically cited the EPIC project during the signing. The second prohibits transnational criminal organizations and foreign adversaries, including Iran, from purchasing land.

​Abbott also signed a proclamation designating the Muslim Brotherhood, which has ties to the Hamas terrorist group, and the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) as foreign terrorist organizations and transnational criminal organizations.

​CAIR filed a lawsuit against Abbott and Paxton in response, calling Abbott’s proclamation “unconstitutional and defamatory.”