Anti-Muslim rhetoric is gaining a more prominent foothold in Republican politics ahead of November’s US midterm elections, with attacks on Islam appearing in congressional campaigning, policy proposals and messages from candidates seeking support on the campaign trail.
The trend has been most visibly represented by the Sharia-Free America Caucus, a group founded in December by Texas Republicans Chip Roy and Keith Self. The caucus said in March that it had grown to 60 members from 25 states, underlining the reach of a movement that began with two lawmakers.
Its members argue that Islamic religious law poses a threat to the US Constitution and the American way of life. In a speech recorded in the Congressional Record, Mr Self described sharia as a system of “governance, culture, and domination” and said Islam stood in conflict with Western civilisation.
Republicans involved in the group have backed legislation aimed at restricting the influence of sharia in the United States, including proposals affecting immigration and the application of foreign legal principles. House Majority Whip Tom Emmer joined the caucus in January, saying sharia was “completely incompatible with the American way of life”.
The Council on American-Islamic Relations, the largest Muslim civil rights organisation in the US, designated the caucus an anti-Muslim hate group in February. CAIR said it was the first time in its 32-year history that it had applied such a designation to a congressional caucus.
Corey Saylor, CAIR’s research and advocacy director, accused members of appointing themselves as “religious police” and argued that their proposals would threaten freedom of religion and equal protection under the law. The organisation’s assessment was rejected by Republicans who say they are defending constitutional government rather than targeting Muslims.
The rhetoric has also spread beyond the caucus. Tennessee congressman Andy Ogles said Muslims did not belong in the United States and later defended his remarks, while Florida representative Randy Fine faced condemnation after making a derogatory comparison involving Muslims.
House Speaker Mike Johnson said he had spoken to members about their “tone” and “message”, but stopped short of directly condemning Mr Ogles’s comments. He said there was significant public concern about what he described as demands to impose sharia law in America.
Democrats and Muslim advocacy groups have accused Republican politicians of exploiting religious fears for electoral advantage, particularly in states where immigration and cultural identity have become major campaign issues. They say the language risks portraying ordinary Muslim Americans as a security threat.
With control of Congress at stake in November, the issue is likely to remain part of the Republican campaign message, as candidates compete to appeal to voters drawn to immigration restrictions and Christian nationalist politics. Critics warn that the growing acceptance of such language is moving anti-Muslim prejudice from the margins of US politics towards the mainstream.
