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A group of men praying at the East Plano Islamic Center on Dec. 17, 2024.<\/p>\n
Sharia, a personal religious and moral code, has long been misinterpreted, said Aminah Chowdhry, who also attends the EPIC mosque.<\/p>\n
Her hope for the election, she said, is that a majority of voters don’t support the candidates who mischaracterize her faith.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt’s a path to get closer to God,\u201d Chowdhry said. \u201cThat’s what it is. Like, I’m fasting, that’s part of Sharia law. I’m good to my parents, that\u2019s part of Sharia Law.\u201d<\/p>\n
Republican primary voters favored several candidates who have campaigned against supposed Sharia Law, including Paxton and Cornyn, who appear to be headed to a runoff election. They also overwhelmingly approved a proposition to ban Sharia Law in Texas. <\/p>\n
Macey Breecheen, who said she was surprised to see the Sharia Law proposition on the ballot when she voted in McKinney, voted for the measure.<\/p>\n
\u201cIf we were to go into another country and impose our form of government on them, it probably wouldn’t go very well,\u201d Breecheen said. <\/p>\n
She said it\u2019s not for her to decide if EPIC should be allowed to build The Meadow.<\/p>\n
\u201cThat\u2019s why I\u2019m not in charge,\u201d Breecheen said. \u201cI trust the people I voted for to make that decision.\u201d<\/p>\n
Top elected officials in Texas have spoken out against the development. But Saiyed said most people in Plano know the mosque for the good it does in the community, including a warming center for the city\u2019s unhoused population and a food pantry.<\/p>\n
\u201cAcross both parties, there are people who understand, and they know the truth, and they stand for it,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
William Garrett, who voted in Plano on Election Day, echoed Saiyed’s concerns that politicians are using false concerns about Sharia Law to stoke division.<\/p>\n
“They’re generating mistrust among everybody,\u201d he said. \u201cAnd that, I think, is bad for America, and for all people.”<\/p>\n
Got a tip? Email Caroline Love at\u00a0clove@kera.org<\/a>.<\/p>\n