00:00Mr. President, this year, as we all know, we are celebrating America's 250th anniversary.
00:07This of course is an opportunity for all of us to reflect with gratitude on the many liberties
00:15and freedoms that we enjoy – fundamental freedoms not enjoyed by most of the rest of
00:20the world – all of which help make America an exceptional nation.
00:26America is a country envied by millions or perhaps billions of people around the world
00:34who long to experience the liberties we too often take for granted here at home.
00:41But it's also true that many countries do not share our values.
00:45Instead, they impose authoritarian or theocratic rules on their own citizens as we've witnessed
00:52in recent years.
00:55Even in countries like Africa, like in Nigeria, even in continents like Africa, in countries
01:02like Nigeria, they've come under international scrutiny for violating the rights and freedoms
01:07of Christians and other religious groups as their legal system has become more and more
01:12entwined with theocratic rule.
01:15In this case, Sharia law.
01:20The United States Commission on International Religious Freedom issued a report last July detailing
01:28some of these abuses.
01:30The report found that Nigeria's enforcement of so-called blasphemy laws have created restrictions
01:37on the religious freedom of Christians and other faith groups.
01:42Nigeria's constitution grants authority to local governments to adjudicate their laws through
01:48Sharia or religious courts.
01:52And in some places this has resulted in the charging and fining and imprisonment of non-Muslims.
02:00Twelve states in northern Nigeria have been permitted to implement laws derived from a Sharia framework criminalizing blasphemy.
02:09They've also enforced Sharia-based code punishment that utilizes corporal punishment, including amputation and stoning for certain offenses.
02:22Some state governments in Nigeria have thrown several people into prison for violating blasphemy laws, including a Christian nurse and
02:31a humanist who were both released last year.
02:35Several more remain in prison to this day under similar charges, with some even sentenced to the death penalty.
02:42And in Europe, as a result of massive migration from Middle Eastern countries, there have been an increase in the
02:54practice of Sharia law in various Muslim enclaves.
02:59Frequently pockets of parallel legal norms in some urban centers.
03:07While we as Americans allow freedom of speech and expression and religion, it's hard to imagine a judge in another
03:17country imposing the death penalty on someone for having different beliefs.
03:23Or for a judge to throw someone in jail for sending a message online that a religious judge finds offensive.
03:30Which, of course, would never happen in America because of the First Amendment, in part, which protects religious freedom.
03:40But this is a road that America could go down if we do not remain vigilant and committed to the
03:48foundational principles of individual liberty, freedom of speech, and freedom of religion enshrined in our Constitution.
03:57These incidents occurring in Nigeria may seem far away, but they underscore the dangers of what can happen in a
04:06country that is not guided by the values that we hold dear here in America.
04:11And they offer a glimpse of what could happen in free Western countries like the United States if Sharia law
04:19became entwined in a nation's governing philosophy.
04:23And as I mentioned, because of massive Muslim immigration from the Middle East into Europe, this is happening right now
04:33in many enclaves across Europe.
04:38Back home in Texas, my constituents have become increasingly alarmed at immigrant enclaves that seek to adopt Sharia law right
04:50here in the United States.
04:52Last summer, a group of individuals attempted to create a Sharia law compound in Josephine, Texas, known as the East
04:59Plano Islamic Center, otherwise known as Epic City.
05:05This complex would have been a planned community strictly for Muslims centered around a mosque and a private Islamic grade
05:13school.
05:14The developers planned to have homes available for sale to non-citizens, but restricted those to those who would supposedly,
05:25and I quote, contribute to the overall makeup of the community, close quote.
05:30In other words, they would seek to bar people not sharing their same beliefs.
05:38This is clearly a very lightly veiled attempt at religious discrimination and, of course, is prohibited by federal law, including
05:48the Fair Housing Act, among other civil rights laws.
05:52Naturally, many of my constituents were concerned, as was I.
05:57There's something so alarming about this planned community where only residents of a particular faith are welcome and allowed to
06:07purchase a home, and where principles of religious law, like Sharia law, would govern daily life, education, and commerce.
06:16I wrote a letter to the Department of Justice asking them to investigate Epic City for potential violations of federal
06:23civil rights laws.
06:25Governor Abbott has been instrumental in making sure that this planned community will never come to fruition, and I'm thankful
06:33for his leadership and remain committed to ensuring that Texas does not ever allow such a community to be created.
06:42Furthermore, I plan to introduce legislation here in the Senate to ensure that any attempts to impose or adopt religious
06:51law, including Sharia, never become realized.
06:55Our country was founded on principles of liberty, equality, freedom of religion, and freedom of speech.
07:04We cannot shrink from these ideals by allowing certain individuals to advocate or embrace Sharia law, nor can we allow
07:15advocates for Sharia law to enter our country and actively work to undermine our Constitution.
07:23Mr. President, we welcome legal immigrants from around the world, regardless of religious belief, who want to become Americans through
07:32a legal, orderly process.
07:37But we want Americans, not just in name only, but in terms of their willingness to embrace the very values
07:45ensconced and protected by our Constitution.
07:49We want them to become fully assimilated as Americans, as America always has.
07:55By recommitting ourselves to our Constitution and to our founding principles, our country will see another 250 years of liberty
08:06and justice for all.
08:09Mr. President, I yield the floor.
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