Anti-Sharia Bills Surge Across U.S. as States Debate Religious Law

Lawmakers across the United States are introducing a growing number of bills aimed at restricting Sharia, the body of Islamic religious and ethical guidance followed by Muslims, even though American courts are already bound by federal and state constitutional law.

At least 39 bills and resolutions targeting Sharia were introduced during 2025 and 2026, nearly matching the 48 proposals introduced over the previous 15 years.

Six measures passed, while others stalled or remain pending. Arizona, Mississippi and Missouri have been among the most active states.

The increase comes amid renewed political debate over Islam, religious freedom and the role of foreign laws in American courts. A Washington Post analysis published Thursday found that sponsors of the legislation could not identify instances of Islamic law being imposed on American civil institutions.

Different approaches across Southern states

In Mississippi, Republican state Rep. Timmy Ladner has repeatedly proposed legislation barring courts from applying Sharia. He plans to introduce another measure during the next legislative session.

Ladner calls the effort a preventive measure, acknowledging that he is unaware of cases in which Islamic religious rules have displaced Mississippi law.

Missouri lawmakers considered a proposal called the No Shari'a Act, which would prevent courts from enforcing judgments or arbitration decisions based on religious or foreign laws that violate constitutional rights.

The Missouri legislation was referred to a Senate committee.

Arizona lawmakers passed a similar bill earlier this year, but Gov. Katie Hobbs vetoed it in June.

The Arizona proposal would have explicitly included Sharia within the state's definition of foreign law. Existing Arizona law already prevents courts from enforcing foreign laws that violate constitutional rights or conflict with state or federal law.

Tennessee took another approach. Its Crush Transnational Repression Act became law in April, targeting coercion and harassment carried out on behalf of foreign governments or terrorist organizations. Lawmakers removed an explicit reference to Sharia before the legislation passed.

What Sharia means in everyday life

Sharia is not a single legal code followed uniformly by all Muslims.

It encompasses religious and ethical guidance involving prayer, fasting, charity, family relationships, personal conduct and other aspects of daily life.

Different Islamic traditions and scholars interpret that guidance differently.

Some Muslim-majority countries incorporate particular interpretations into their legal systems, sometimes imposing restrictions that conflict with internationally recognized human rights.

In the United States, however, religious beliefs do not override the Constitution or criminal and civil law.

Supporters of the proposed restrictions argue that additional safeguards are needed to prevent foreign legal principles from undermining individual rights, particularly in family disputes and private agreements.

Critics contend that existing constitutional protections already address those concerns and that legislation explicitly singling out Islam risks treating Muslim Americans differently from followers of other religions.

Growing concern among Muslim communities

The legislative activity has coincided with increased political attention to Islam.

Candidates spent more than $14 million on midterm campaign advertisements mentioning Sharia, particularly during Republican primaries in Texas and Oklahoma.

Muslim community organizations have expressed concern that the debate could encourage harassment and discrimination.

In Arizona, those concerns intensified after a paintball attack outside a Phoenix mosque in March and an online threat this month naming Islamic centers around Tucson.

The legal debate is not entirely new. Similar proposals appeared across the country following the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks, and courts have previously struck down some measures that specifically targeted Islam.

The current increase raises a familiar constitutional question: how states can protect residents from unlawful conduct without restricting religious practices that are protected under American law.

With additional proposals expected in 2027, that question is likely to return to state legislatures across the South and beyond.