HOUSTON, September 2025 – Reports emerging from the Gulf Coast are raising alarms: a self‑described “radical imam” in Houston is allegedly spearheading a campaign pressuring Muslim‑owned businesses to cease selling items deemed “haram,” including pork, alcohol, and lottery tickets.
In a video circulated by the RAIR Foundation’s Amy Mekelburg, Imam F. Qasim ibn Ali Khan of Masjid At‑Tawhid, affiliated with the Nation of Islam, is heard warning, “Toward the end of this month, we’re kicking off a national protesting and demonstrations campaign against all Muslim businesses that have haram in their store.” He continues: “We should love what Allah loves and hate what Allah hates.” Mekelburg underscores the broader meaning of the imam’s words: “In Islamic texts, that goes beyond products — it targets people.”
Within the video, Khan confronts Muslim business owners directly, cautioning them that failure to halt the sale of forbidden goods will invite organized demonstrations and public boycotts. Conservative commentators warn that these “Sharia patrols” echo actions witnessed in Europe’s no‑go zones, where parallel systems of governance and social enforcement have emerged.
Critics are quick to recall that “Texas isn’t Minnesota” – a nod to resistance against cultural imposition. Many Texans see this as an affront to personal liberties and the pluralistic fabric of the Lone Star State.
The backdrop to this controversy includes growing scrutiny of Muslim‑centered developments in North Texas. The East Plano Islamic Center (EPIC) has proposed a sprawling 402‑acre “EPIC City” community near Collin County, featuring mosques, schools, homes, and commercial zones. Governor Greg Abbott declared unequivocally: “Sharia law is not allowed in Texas. Nor are Sharia cities. Nor are ‘no‑go zones’ … Bottom line. The project as proposed … is not allowed in Texas.”
The state response has been robust: investigations by twelve Texas agencies, including the State Securities Board, Attorney General Ken Paxton’s office, and the Texas Rangers, are underway for alleged violations ranging from licensing infractions to misleading investors and zoning violations.
Defenders of EPIC counter that the development is intended as an inclusive, well‑integrated community. One EPIC spokesperson, Yasir Qadhi, stated: “EPIC City is going to be a role model community of thousands of Muslims living well‑integrated. We are not forming a cult. We’re not forming big barriers between the rest of society.” Nonetheless, some critics accuse EPIC of fostering a “walled‑off Islamic community” with Sharia undertones.
Texas conservatives express that the concerns raised are not rooted in bigotry but in safeguarding American legal norms. As one commentator put it: This is “not about hate; it’s about survival” and preserving the rule of law.
Meanwhile, in Houston, some reactions veer toward humor. One lighthearted quip sums up the sentiment succinctly: “You might talk a few Americans into some questionable things, but giving up bacon and beer are not among those things.”
The episode follows a string of high‑profile tensions involving Islamist advocacy in Texas. Earlier in the year, congressional candidate Valentina Gomez drew condemnation— and violent threats — after a video showed her destroying a Quran with a flamethrower, claiming an Islamist foothold would mean, “Your daughters will be raped and your sons beheaded unless we stop Islam once and for all.” Conservative media also flagged over $13 million in state and federal funds purportedly directed to mosques and groups linked to entities such as the Muslim Brotherhood, Hamas, and Iran’s regime.
Additionally, in Dallas, an imam affiliated with opposing Tehran’s nuclear ambitions urged fellow clerics to support Iran—a move that triggered investigations into his mosque’s broader plans for sociocultural organization.
