Texas Scorecard by Grant Halk August 3, 2026
TPPF Senior Fellow Sam Westrop told lawmakers that Sharia-compliant finance firms have questionable ties to hostile nations and Islamic terrorist groups, raising transparency concerns.Sharia-compliant finance firms operating in Texas may have ties to global Islamist movements and foreign governments, according to testimony before a Texas House committee late last week.
Texas Public Policy Foundation Senior Fellow Sam Westrop told representatives on the House Committee on Homeland Security, Public Safety and Veterans’ Affairs that the state should take a closer look at how these networks are funded and regulated.
“Over a dozen Sharia finance firms with links to foreign Islamist movements such as Jamaat-e-Islami, Qutbists, Deobandis, Salafis, as well as the governments of Malaysia and Iran, operate across Texas, wielding billions of dollars of financing and services that serve to strengthen Islamist control over a diverse variety of prosperous Muslim communities,” said Westrop.
Westrop explained that the history of Sharia-based financing began in Texas with Yahia Abdul-Rahman, who established the first Sharia-compliant bank and stock portfolio in North America and is often referred to as the “father of Islamic banking.”
More:
https://texasscorecard.com/state/sharia-finance-transparency-and-foreign-influence-in-texas/
