Rep. Self Discusses Sharia Law and Religious Freedom in McKinney Mosque Debate

U.S. Rep. Keith Self (R-Texas) stated that Americans must address complex constitutional issues as national debates concerning Sharia law and religious liberty continue to unfold in McKinney.

Self spoke with Sarah Zubiate-Bennett on a recent episode of the program Let’s Talk Local regarding these tensions. The conversation followed a unanimous August 4 vote by the McKinney City Council, which approved a 32,573-square-foot mosque and Islamic center after city staff determined the revised site plan met all zoning and development regulations.

Councilman Patrick Cloutier previously noted that the council’s function was administrative in nature. He warned that denying a compliant proposal could subject the municipality to significant legal challenges, according to prior reporting by The Dallas Express.

During the interview, Zubiate-Bennett asked Self how communities can manage concerns about Sharia law while upholding First Amendment protections. Self explained that the Constitution safeguards religion, speech, and assembly, but he drew a line between personal faith and actionable conduct.

“The government can’t monitor those. Can’t tell you what to do,” Self said regarding individual beliefs. “On the other hand, conduct under the law is governed.”

Self, who graduated from West Point and served as Collin County judge, also shared details about his military service in Muslim-majority regions, including Egypt, Afghanistan, and Qatar. He noted these assignments provided him with repeated exposure to Islamic culture.

The discussion also touched on a previous interview Zubiate-Bennett conducted with Sam Westrop, director of Islamist Watch at the Middle East Forum, which focused on Sharia-compliant finance and networks in Texas. Zubiate-Bennett told Self that her analysis identified potential institutional links involving McKinney and asked if he had raised these connections during his appearance before the City Council.

Self replied that he did not address those specific ties. He explained he had only two minutes to speak and chose to focus on historical context instead.

The full interview covers Self’s military background, the local mosque controversy, Sharia finance, and his perspective on where protected religious belief ends and governed conduct begins.

Source: Dallas Express.

Sources

https://dallasexpress.com/metroplex/keith-self-on-sharia-law-and-mckinney-mosque-where-does-religious-freedom-end-and-u-s-law-begin/