Washington, D.C. – Florida Rep. Randy Fine, a staunch Trump ally, thrust cultural warfare into the spotlight Friday by introducing the “No Shari’a Act,” a bill co-sponsored by Texas Rep. Keith Self to prohibit Sharia law’s enforcement anywhere in the U.S. where it clashes with constitutional rights. The two-page measure, referred to the House Judiciary Committee, bars courts, agencies, and arbitrations from upholding judgments rooted in Sharia or any foreign legal system undermining freedoms like gender equality or free speech.
Fine, announcing the bill amid escalating immigration debates, declared it a bulwark against “barbaric Middle Age philosophy.” He tied it to recent flashpoints: a Dearborn, Michigan, clash where Christian residents opposed naming a street after Arab American publisher Osama Siblani, and Texas’s controversial EPIC City project – a proposed Muslim-majority community critics fear could foster Sharia enclaves. “We are not going to become a Muslim nation. There are plenty out there,” Fine told reporters, echoing Texas Gov. Greg Abbott’s vow that “Sharia law is not allowed in Texas.” Self warned of a fractured America, divided into “civilizations with different laws,” citing Sharia’s alleged tolerance for child marriages, spousal abuse, honor killings, and genital mutilation.
The legislation builds on over 200 state-level anti-Sharia efforts since 2010, but critics slam it as redundant fearmongering. The Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) branded it a “dog-whistle to bigotry,” noting U.S. courts already reject foreign laws conflicting with the Constitution. With Muslims comprising just 1-2% of the population, the Islamic Networks Group insists there’s “little danger” of Sharia supplanting American law. Democrats, including Rep. Judy Chu, decried the timing – weeks after Trump’s “One Flag” policy banning Pride symbols – as hypocritical amid his Muslim travel ban revival. “This isn’t protection; it’s prejudice,” Chu said.
As the 119th Congress grapples with redistricting and midterms, the bill’s fate hinges on GOP momentum. Proponents see it as cultural preservation; foes, a nativist assault. In a nation of immigrants, Fine’s crusade tests the bounds of unity versus division.
