A fight over Republican leadership in Texas becomes a test of the limits of Muslims in the GOP

[Zorro]

Muslim Americans will reach a milestone next week when Rashida Tlaib and Ilhan Omar join the House of Representatives. The Democrats from Michigan and Minnesota will be the first Muslim women in Congress, and many have hailed their election as a sign of rising diversity in politics.

On the other side of the aisle, a brewing controversy over a GOP leader in Texas targeted by fellow party members because of his Muslim faith is also drawing national attention. It has become a test case for an issue the Republican Party struggles with as voters in Texas and beyond grow more racially and religiously diverse: Is there room for Muslims?

Members of the Tarrant County Republican Party will vote Jan. 10 on whether Shahid Shafi, a 53-year-old trauma surgeon and city councilman in the Fort Worth suburb of Southlake since 2014, should be removed as a vice chairman.

A precinct chairwoman forced the vote after making unproven claims that Shafi, who has served as a delegate to several GOP state conventions, has ties to the Muslim Brotherhood and terrorism and wants to impose sharia law. Other precinct chairs have joined in the calls to remove Shafi.

https://www.sandiegouniontribune.com/news/nation-world/la-na-shafi-muslim-republican-20181228-story.html

Muslim or not, Shafi still is a Texas Republican.

[northoftheborder]

1. Reminds me again of how NOT proud I am to be a Texan.

Texas used to be a great state in many ways. It has regressed a hundred years in many ways.

[MagickMuffin]

2. It's good to know the the TCRP is getting national attention

This should raise alarms to all Muslims that they are not wanted in the republicon party. I find it fascinating that any Muslim would want to be in a party that literally hates them.

Here are some other groups who don't seem to care that they belong to the party of hate.

Log Cabin

Women

POC

[Jake Stern]

3. A couple questions for Mr. Shafi

Are the tax cuts worth the blatant racism? Do you need anymore proof that the GOP is now the The Official Party for White People or are you waiting for them to kick you out of office for nothing more than being a Muslim to believe it?

When I see POC Republicans like Sen. Tim Scott of South Carolina I have to wonder how they block out the open, in-your-face racism enough to smile and proudly rep that brand. It just seems to defy logic.

[gratuitous]

4. I don't think it's just the tax cuts

Apparently, he'd like a good dose of conservative Muslim law imposed on citizens, like his fellow Republicans would like to impose some good Christian law on them (mostly having to do with abortion and state control of women's access to health care). They have the same goal, but the different routes (read: "Euh, Muslims!" ) to get there is apparently too disturbing for some Republicans.