Greg Abbott
Greg Abbott is the Governor of Texas. Abbott has been placed on the SpotLightHate watchdog list for a sustained pattern of anti-Muslim executive actions, rhetoric targeting Muslim communities, and efforts to ban Islamic organizations and community developments in Texas.
Designating Muslim Organizations as Terrorist Groups
On November 18, 2025, Governor Abbott signed an executive order designating the Muslim Brotherhood and the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) as "foreign terrorist and transnational criminal organizations." The designation bans these organizations from buying or acquiring land in Texas and authorizes the Attorney General to sue to shut them down.
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This executive action was widely condemned by civil rights organizations as an unconstitutional attempt to target a legitimate Muslim advocacy group. CAIR, the nation's largest Muslim civil rights organization, filed a federal lawsuit challenging the designation, arguing it violated constitutional rights including due process and free speech.
Campaign to Ban Sharia Law
On March 4, 2026, Abbott celebrated Republican primary results showing that "95% of Republican primary voters said that Sharia Law should be BANNED in Texas," declaring that "there is a 100% certainty that Sharia Law will be completely banned in Texas this next session." He referenced a "ban on Sharia Cities" that he had previously signed.
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Critics argue that "Sharia Law" bans are solutions to a non-existent problem, as the U.S. Constitution already prohibits any religious law from superseding civil law. These efforts are viewed as political fear-mongering that stigmatizes Muslim communities and promotes Islamophobia.
Blocking Muslim Housing Development
Abbott has been actively involved in efforts to block EPIC City, a Muslim community development project in North Texas led by the East Plano Islamic Center. On March 19, 2026, Abbott announced that a court had stopped the project, and that at his direction, state agencies had investigated the development.
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On March 1, 2026, Abbott escalated his rhetoric around the EPIC City project, framing it as part of a broader threat. He also posted about directing state action against the development on multiple occasions.
Pattern of Anti-Muslim Executive Actions
Governor Abbott's actions represent a coordinated pattern of using the power of the Governor's office to target Muslim organizations and communities in Texas. From designating CAIR as a terrorist organization, to pushing "Sharia Law" bans, to personally intervening to block a Muslim housing development, Abbott has repeatedly used his executive authority in ways that single out and discriminate against Muslim Texans.
These actions have drawn legal challenges from multiple civil rights organizations and have been widely criticized as violations of religious freedom and equal protection under the law.
Greg Abbott Social Media Accounts:
