Van Hollen, Clyburn, Carson, DeLauro, Johnson, Khanna, Nadler Lead 119 Democrats in Condemning the Anti-Muslim “Sharia-Free America Caucus” and Harmful Legislation

Today, U.S. Senator Chirs Van Hollen (D-Md.) and Representatives James E. Clyburn (S.C.-06), Chair of the Democratic Faith Working Group, Andre Carson (Ind.-07), Rosa DeLauro (Conn.-03), Jerry Nadler (N.Y.-12), Hank Johnson (Ga.-07), and Ro Khanna (Calif.-17) led 119 Democratic Members in a letter condemning the establishment of the bicameral, anti-Muslim, self-styled “Sharia-Free America Caucus,” which would promote legislation that discriminates against the faith tradition of American Muslims. Ugly voices are growing louder and threatening to strip away our First Amendment rights to freely practice our faith and to violate the Constitutional prohibition of government picking one religion over another. We must oppose efforts to spread racist and xenophobic misrepresentations that sow more ignorance and hate. The premise underlying this caucus and the measures associated with it reflects longstanding Islamophobic narratives and anti-Muslim sentiment rather than any demonstrated policy need. In their letter, the lawmakers denounced the hateful caucus and urged leadership to speak clearly against initiatives that discriminate and stigmatize against any religious community. The lawmakers wrote , “To be clear, American Muslims serve this nation in every capacity and are entitled to the same constitutional protections as all other Americans. They are guided by both faith and civic responsibility to respect the U.S. Constitution, follow the law, and contribute positively to their communities and to the nation they call home. Congress must not legitimize anti-Muslim proposals that undermine those protections or foster division among the people we represent." The lawmakers condemned the following legislation associated with the “Sharia-Free America Caucus”: Preserving a Sharia-Free America Act (H.R. 5722 / S. 3009) No Shari’a Act (H.R. 5512 / S. 3008) Protecting Puppies from Sharia Act (H.R. 7611) The lawmakers continued, “These proposals address no identifiable gap in U.S. law and raise serious constitutional concerns. The U.S. Constitution already makes clear that federal and state law govern civil and criminal matters, and courts have repeatedly invalidated measures that single out a particular religion for disfavored treatment. “Sharia, like Catholic canon law and Jewish Halakha, is a system of personal religious guidance developed through centuries of religious scholarship. For American Muslims, it primarily governs matters of faith and ethics, such as prayer, charity, honesty, family responsibilities, and service to others, and does not supersede U.S. law. Islamic teachings emphasize that Muslims should honor the laws of the country in which one resides.” The full text of the letter can be found here and below. Dear Speaker Johnson, Leader Jeffries, Leader Thune, and Leader Schumer: We write as Members of Congress to express serious concern regarding the establishment of the bicameral, anti-Muslim, self-styled “Sharia-Free America Caucus” and its connection to anti- Muslim legislation that singles out the faith tradition of American Muslims, one of many faith traditions that have shaped the United States since its founding. The premise underlying this caucus and the measures associated with it reflects longstanding Islamophobic narratives and anti-Muslim sentiment rather than any demonstrated policy need. Legislation being advanced from members associated with this hateful caucus includes the: Preserving a Sharia-Free America Act (H.R. 5722 / S. 3009) No Shari’a Act (H.R. 5512 / S. 3008) Protecting Puppies from Sharia Act (H.R. 7611) These proposals address no identifiable gap in U.S. law and raise serious constitutional concerns. The U.S. Constitution already makes clear that federal and state law govern civil and criminal matters, and courts have repeatedly invalidated measures that single out a particular religion for disfavored treatment. In Awad v. Ziriax (2013), the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Tenth Circuit permanently enjoined Oklahoma’s “Sharia ban” as a violation of the First Amendment. Congress faces urgent national priorities. Devoting floor time to legislation rooted in religious targeting would be a misuse of limited institutional resources. Leadership plays a decisive role in determining what legislation advances, and we respectfully urge that these measures not be scheduled for floor consideration. We further urge leadership to speak clearly against initiatives that stigmatize a religious community. Legislation explicitly targeting Catholic Canon law or Jewish Halakha would rightly be rejected as discriminatory; proposals aimed at Islamic practices should be treated no differently. Allowing such efforts to proceed risks normalizing religious discrimination within Congress itself. For these reasons, we respectfully request that House and Senate leadership: Publicly reaffirm Congress’s commitment to religious liberty and neutrality; Reject efforts rooted in anti-Muslim bias; and Refrain from scheduling the above-referenced legislation for floor consideration. Sharia, like Catholic canon law and Jewish Halakha, is a system of personal religious guidance developed through centuries of religious scholarship. For American Muslims, it primarily governs matters of faith and ethics, such as prayer, charity, honesty, family responsibilities, and service to others, and does not supersede U.S. law. Islamic teachings emphasize that Muslims should honor the laws of the country in which one resides. To be clear, American Muslims serve this nation in every capacity and are entitled to the same constitutional protections as all other Americans. They are guided by both faith and civic responsibility to respect the U.S. Constitution, follow the law, and contribute positively to their communities and to the nation they call home. Congress must not legitimize anti-Muslim proposals that undermine those protections or foster division among the people we represent. Thank you for your attention to this matter and for your leadership in upholding the constitutional principles that unite our nation. Sincerely,