When someone knocks at your door demanding you change how you live, most Americans know exactly what to do with that door.

But in Houston, some visitors aren’t taking no for an answer. They’re not selling magazines or spreading the good word—they’re issuing ultimatums backed by threats of public protests and boycotts.

The scenes unfolding in Texas should alarm every American who values individual liberty. A coordinated campaign has emerged, targeting business owners with a simple message: comply with our religious demands or face the consequences. It’s the kind of intimidation tactic you might expect in certain European neighborhoods where local authorities have already surrendered control, but not in the heart of Texas.

What started as isolated incidents in Houston’s Muslim community has revealed itself as something far more ambitious.

Local imam F. Qasim ibn Ali Khan of Masjid At-Tawhid has been leading demonstrations against Muslim-owned stores that dare to sell products he deems forbidden under Islamic law. Pork, alcohol, lottery tickets, everyday products that Americans have the freedom to buy and sell.

From ‘Daily Wire’:

“We’re just getting started. In 30 days, we’re going city-wide. Little by little, one by one, we’re going to be visiting all the stores. We should love what Allah allows and hate what Allah hates.”

That’s the deadline this imam is giving American business owners to bend the knee to his interpretation of religious law. Call it “religious outreach” if you want—I call it extortion.

Khan frames his campaign as da’wah, but the optics tell a different story. Armed with protest signs and camera crews, he confronts store owners with ultimatums: remove these products by month’s end or face organized boycotts and public demonstrations.

While Khan insists he’s operating within his First Amendment rights, there’s a clear difference between practicing your faith and forcing others to live by it.

Texas Draws the Line

Here’s where it gets good. Governor Greg Abbott’s response was swift and unequivocal.

“I signed laws that BAN Sharia Law and Sharia Compounds in Texas,” he declared. “No business & no individual should fear fools like this.”

Abbott urged Texans to report any attempts to impose Sharia compliance to law enforcement, connecting this incident to broader concerns about religious extremism attempting to establish parallel legal systems.

This isn’t Abbott’s first stand against such efforts. Earlier this year, Texas halted construction on the proposed “EPIC City” near Dallas—a Muslim-only community allegedly designed to operate under Sharia law. The governor’s office confirmed multiple state and federal investigations into the project’s legality, with Senator John Cornyn and Attorney General Ken Paxton raising constitutional concerns about religious discrimination and segregation.

The 2017 law Abbott referenced prohibits Texas judges from applying any foreign law, including Sharia, in state courtrooms. It’s a safeguard that now seems prescient, given the brazen attempts to establish religious enforcement mechanisms outside the legal system.

What This Means for America

Khan and his followers believe they have the right to dictate how other Americans conduct their business. Today it’s Muslim store owners being targeted. Tomorrow? The demands could extend to any business in neighborhoods where these groups gain influence.

The Council on American-Islamic Relations predictably called Abbott’s response “fearmongering,” but let me ask you something: when someone gives you a 30-day ultimatum to comply with their religious demands, who’s really spreading fear? Ordinary Americans recognize intimidation when we see it. We know that freedom means the right to sell legal products without facing organized harassment.

Texas has given us the blueprint for how to respond; not with hatred or discrimination against any faith, but with clarity about our laws and values. In America, you’re free to practice your religion. You’re free to avoid pork and alcohol. You’re even free to peacefully protest.

But you’re not free to impose your religious laws on others through threats and intimidation. Period.

As Abbott put it simply: “This is America. We don’t bend the law for imported ideologies.” Every state should take note. Because when Sharia law comes knocking at your door—and make no mistake, it will—Texas just showed us exactly how to keep it shut.

Key Takeaways

• Texas banned Sharia law after imam threatened businesses with protests for selling “forbidden” products
• Governor Abbott urged citizens to report any attempts at religious coercion to law enforcement
• Texas’s firm response provides blueprint for defending constitutional freedoms nationwide

Sources: The  Daily Wire, MSN.com