\u201cThe principle for consideration that\u2019s before us tonight as a council is simple, but it\u2019s also longstanding, which basically says: One U.S. Constitution, one legal system and equal justice under the law,\u201d Mizani said, reading aloud a prepared statement before the council voted to approve the resolution.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Elected as mayor in 2020, Mizani is currently campaigning for a seat in the Texas House and seeking the GOP nomination for that office on the March 3 primary ballot<\/a>. Last month, he signed a mayoral proclamation<\/a> stating that Keller rejects sharia law and that \u201call municipal actions, policies and enforcement shall remain fully aligned\u201d with the Constitution.<\/p>\n Muslim communities and sharia law have become a focus of attention among Texas Republicans at both the state and local level.\u00a0<\/p>\n In September, Gov. Greg Abbott signed a law to ban \u201csharia compounds\u201d<\/a> after months of statewide scrutiny over The Meadow, formerly called EPIC City, an acronym for the East Plano Islamic Center leading the project. Developers are seeking to move forward with the project<\/a> despite also facing a lawsuit from Attorney General Ken Paxton.<\/p>\n Also last year, Abbott directed the Texas Department of Public Safety to criminally investigate<\/a> two Islamic groups he designated as foreign terrorist organizations<\/a> and also called for investigations into sharia courts.\u00a0<\/p>\n The adopted resolution in Keller is declaratory in nature and does not create any new laws, regulations or enforcement authority. City Council members may adopt resolutions, or formal written documents, for nonlegislative actions such as expressing official opinions, adopting policies and other administrative duties.\u00a0<\/p>\n The council\u2019s approval of the resolution came after about 10 speakers urged members to vote it down, saying its initial wording infringed on the right to freedom of religion.\u00a0<\/p>\n Farah Janjua, a Keller resident for 17 years, felt disappointed but \u201cnot really surprised\u201d after watching the council approve the resolution, especially with recent political attention focused on Islam across the state and the country. She told council members the action would not contribute to public safety but rather promote a culture of targeting neighbors based on their ethnicity or religion.\u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s not real, whatever they are thinking about us. It\u2019s all untrue, it\u2019s like a boogeyman,\u201d Janjua told the Fort Worth Report after the meeting. \u201cWe\u2019re all law-abiding citizens, we hold the Constitution above any other law here in this country, and that\u2019s about it.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n The resolution was previously drafted to reject sharia law, stating that Keller \u201cshall not recognize sharia law, sharia courts or any foreign legal system as a source of civil authority, adjudication or municipal governance.\u201d Moments before the council meeting, city staff informed Report journalists in attendance that officials had revised the resolution, removing explicit mentions of sharia law.\u00a0<\/p>\n The term \u201csharia\u201d refers to the values, code of conduct and religious laws used in Islam to guide various aspects of life, according to the Intercultural Networks Group. Derived from interpretations of the Qur\u2019an, sharia provides guidance for Muslims to follow in both spiritual and worldly matters.<\/p>\n \u201cNothing in this resolution shall be construed to restrict the voluntary practice of religion, private religious counseling or mutually agreed-upon non-binding mediation, provided such practices do not conflict with state or federal law or attempt to supplant civil courts,\u201d the adopted resolution states.\u00a0<\/p>\n Removing explicit mentions of sharia law gave some peace of mind to Mujeeb Kazi, president of the North Texas Islamic Council, he told the Report after the meeting. Only mentioning Islamic religious laws in the original resolution discriminated against Muslims, he said.\u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cIf you want to pinpoint one particular religion, then I want him to include other religions too,\u201d Kazi said.\u00a0<\/p>\n Sharia law poses no threat to non-Muslim people, said Mustafaa Carroll, interim executive director of the national advocacy group Council on American-Islamic Relations. Commonly called CAIR, the group is one of the two Abbott labeled as terrorist groups last year.\u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s such a non-issue that you can\u2019t even address it,\u201d Carroll said of sharia law.\u00a0<\/p>\n He explained sharia as \u201ccommunity rules\u201d to guide how Muslim individuals and communities live and interact with the world, rather than a \u201ccodified set of rules\u201d that governs Islam. Sharia law also states that Muslim people must follow the laws of the land they live in, Carroll added.\u00a0<\/p>\n The adopted resolution may not have a tangible impact on Muslims in Keller or Tarrant County, Carroll said, but he expects it to contribute to growing political tension surrounding Islam.\u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cThere\u2019s nothing that they\u2019re doing that has any legitimate weight, but what it does do is it throws a cloud over the Muslim community,\u201d Carroll said. \u201cIt creates angst and fear with the non-Muslims.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n Conservative activists and elected officials across Tarrant have decried what they describe as the \u201cIslamization of Texas.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n Bo French, former chairman of the Tarrant County GOP now campaigning for statewide office, generated controversy repeatedly last summer for incendiary rhetoric about Muslim people, including a social media poll asking whether Jewish or Muslim people<\/a> pose a \u201cbigger threat to America.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n French also called for Rep. Salman Bhojani, a Euless Democrat and the first Muslim person elected to the Texas Legislature, to be denaturalized and deported<\/a>.\u00a0<\/p>\n Tarrant GOP leaders last summer adopted a resolution denouncing CAIR<\/a> and urging elected officials to declare \u201can invasion of Islamic centers, associations and societies as a dangerous threat to the citizens of Texas and the United States of America and a dangerous threat to our way of life.\u201d Party leaders said at the time the action was unrelated to CAIR\u2019s criticism of French.<\/p>\n Throughout the night Tuesday, speakers opposing the resolution accused Mizani of using it as a \u201cpolitical stunt\u201d to attract attention to his campaign and gain GOP support as the primary election approaches.\u00a0<\/p>\n Janjua said she fears the long-term repercussions the resolution and other anti-Muslim sentiment will mean for Keller, its reputation and its Muslim residents. The Keller she knows from living there for nearly two decades is not the Keller she sees reflected in recent news coverage, she said.\u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cMost people are amazing, and they\u2019re very accepting and inclusive,\u201d Janjua said. \u201cI have a lot of faith in our community that we will get through this together and we will stand up for each other.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n As she told council members that night, she\u2019s never felt unwelcome in Keller until now.\u00a0<\/p>\n Cecilia Lenzen is a government accountability reporter for the Fort Worth Report. Contact her at cecilia.lenzen@fortworthreport.org<\/a>.\u00a0<\/p>\n![\"(Maria](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/0106-KellerCityCouncil-09--1024x683.jpg\")
Mayor Armin Mizani listens to public comment during a Keller City Council meeting Jan. 6, 2026. Prior to the meeting, the council introduced new verbiage for a resolution that a majority of speakers opposed throughout the night. (Maria Crane | Fort Worth Report\/CatchLight Local\/Report for America)<\/p>\n![\"(Maria](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/0106-KellerCityCouncil-10--1024x683.jpg\")
Keller City Council members listen to public comments during a meeting Jan. 6, 2026. Residents of Keller spoke on a resolution affirming \u201cconstitutional governance,\u201d with comments both for and against its approval. (Maria Crane | Fort Worth Report\/CatchLight Local\/Report for America)<\/p>\n