In Texas, Governor Greg Abbott (R) is asking lawmakers to prohibit public schools from accepting gifts, money, or property from foreign sources or entering into partnerships or financial agreements with them after the Texas Public Policy Foundation highlighted examples they say demonstrate foreign and Islamist influence in Texas education.
From public school classrooms to halal foods in school cafeterias to "wudu" ablution foot-washing stations in airports, ACT for America Chairwoman Brigitte Gabriel says Islam is on the move.
"We in America are people who welcome people from all nations, from all backgrounds, from all faiths to come to the United States, practice whatever faith they want, build whatever house of worship they want," she notes, adding that "Islam is a political ideology cloaked in religion."
"This is what makes it different than any other religion out there: Islam enforces its ideology on those people who do not choose to adhere to that religion," Gabriel asserts.
Abbott recently asked the Department of Justice to investigate the foot-washing stations in Texas airports.
"I am unaware of either airport installing standalone facilities to meet the particular needs of the many other religious groups represented across Texas," he wrote in a letter to Dallas-Fort Worth (DFW) Airport CEO Christopher McLaughlin. "That is illegal. Both airports are government-owned facilities."
Houston's George Bush Intercontinental Airport (IAH) also has ablution stations that were reportedly funded through fees charged directly to international airlines rather than city, state, or federal taxpayer money.
DFW airport officials quickly announced they would not be moving forward with the construction of new ablution stations. However, no announcement was made on those currently installed in the airport.
If an airport operator is determined to have violated anti-discrimination laws, the result could be a revocation of grant funds issued by the state of Texas.
"I was born and raised in Lebanon," Gabriel relays. "You cannot find a foot-washing basin at any airport in the Middle East. They do not have foot-washing basins in Beirut or in Egypt airports or in any of these different Arabic country's airports. Why do we need them in America?"
She encourages people to find out who funds the mosques in America and ask questions like, "Do they have any connection to terrorist organizations? Are they on the terror watch list? Are they a foundation overseas based in Saudi Arabia or Qatar?"
Her organization trains people to ask U.S. city councils the right questions, how to send freedom of information request letters, and how to "mobilize citizens to ensure the safety and security of Americans against all threats foreign and domestic while preserving civil liberties guaranteed by the U.S. Constitution."
