by Nomad
One legislator's policy discriminating against Muslim Americans raises questions about what religious liberty actually means in Texas.
A couple of days ago
The
Dallas Morning News reported about
Texas state Representative Molly White and a new policy she adopted. From now on, she decided, all Muslim visitors
to her government offices will be required to renounce terrorism and to swear an oath of allegiance
to the United States. If not, she has stated that she would not meet with them.
"We Don't Want You Here"
White's policy came in response
to the seventh annual Texas Muslim Capitol Day in which some 200 Texas Muslims
attended. They were to speak with
legislators about their goals for the session.
The events were hosted by the Texas chapter of the
Council on American–Islamic Relations (CAIR). The meeting was supposed to be
“an opportunity for community members to learn about the democratic political process and how to be an advocate for important issues.”
Like any other lobbying organization,
Before the rally,
Mustafaa Carroll, the executive
director for the
CAIR, explained to reporters the main problem was a lack of contact between Muslim Americans and the lawmakers Carroll explained:
“The problem that even the lawmakers have—they don’t know Muslims. They’ve never been to a mosque, they’ve never talked to any Muslims more than likely and all they see is what they see on TV.
Instead the were greeted with an example of the democratic political process at its worst and in disarray. The Muslim Americans (which included dozens of middle and high school students) were met by roughly 30 self-identified Christian protesters. The protesters who heckled " shouting “we don’t want you here,” and holding signs that said “no Sharia.” They also held flags and signs like ”One God,” and “Remember 9/11.”
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