Adam Zuvanich/Houston Public Media
Pictured is a sign outside the headquarters for Cy-Fair ISD on Sept. 10, 2024, in Cypress, Texas.
Texas Gov. Greg Abbott is calling on Cy-Fair ISD to sever its ties with the 2026 Houston Islamic Games, which he says were scheduled for October at Bridgeland High School.
In a Wednesday letter to the Houston-area school district, Abbott directed CFISD to terminate any agreements with the Houston Islamic Games. He said the district needed to do so because the New Jersey chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) was allegedly one of the sponsors for the youth athletic competition. In November, Abbott declared CAIR — a nationwide civil rights organization — to be a foreign terrorist organization and barred the group from purchasing land in Texas.
“You cannot invite such dangers through the front doors of our schools,” Abbott said in a news release publicizing his letter. “Texans deserve immediate action to curb the spread of Islamic extremism, and public facilities funded by their tax dollars will not be utilized to host terrorist related groups.”
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CAIR has disputed the Republican governor’s characterization and said its mission is to “enhance understanding of Islam, protect civil rights, promote justice, and empower American Muslims.” CAIR filed a lawsuit against Abbott shortly after his declaration.
The Islamic Games is a nonprofit organization founded over 35 years ago that “brings together children and athletes of all ages and faiths to compete in more than 15 sports, including basketball, soccer, football, pickleball, cricket, volleyball, tennis and a 5K run,” according to the organization’s website. The Islamic Games did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
In a statement shared by CAIR, the Islamic Games said that while CAIR-New Jersey donated drawstring bags to athletes in 2023, CAIR has never been a sponsor of the games.
“We want to make clear that we reject the negative and false attacks on them [CAIR],” the Islamic Games said in the statement. “We are deeply concerned that voices have become so hateful that they would target a sporting event for children.”
Abbott claimed in his letter to Cy-Fair ISD leaders that CAIR-New Jersey was previously listed as a sponsor on the 2026 Islamic Games’ website. CAIR-New Jersey was not listed as a sponsor on the event website as of Wednesday, when the site noted the games would be held in September or October at a location in Cypress “TBD.”
According to Abbott, facilities at Cy-Fair ISD’s Bridgeland High School were slated to be used for the Islamic Games.
Cy-Fair ISD spokespeople did not immediately respond to a request for comment Wednesday.
In a statement to Houston Public Media, CAIR’s Washington D.C. office said Abbott was false in claiming that CAIR-New Jersey was a sponsor of the Houston games.
“Children should be off-limits in political games. Period,” a CAIR spokesperson wrote in an email. “Yet Governor Abbott’s hatred of Muslims and his obsession with silencing critics of the Israeli government have now led him to target innocent children scheduled to participate in an athletic sporting event that has occurred for over 30 years in states across America, including Texas.”
The organization also said that Abbott’s declaration against CAIR is “lawless.”
“He is the governor of Texas, not the emperor of Texas, and we look forward to reminding him of that in a court of law. God willing,” CAIR said.
Abbott’s letter to Cy-Fair ISD comes as an Islamic Games event scheduled to take place in Colleyville, located near Fort Worth, was canceled following similar allegations.