Texas Muslim Rights Group Urges State Leaders to Condemn Islamophobic Post by Agriculture Commissioner

Texas Muslim Rights Group Urges State Leaders to Condemn Islamophobic Post by Agriculture Commissioner
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The Texas branch of the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR-TX), part of the largest Muslim civil rights organization in the United States, has called on state leaders to publicly condemn an anti-Muslim social media post shared by Texas Agriculture Commissioner Sid Miller.

The post, which sparked widespread backlash, featured an image depicting “Islam” as a snake coiled around a cowboy’s leg, while the cowboy holds a knife engraved with the word “Solution.” Miller captioned the image, “It’s time,” prompting accusations of inciting hatred and violence against Muslims.

CAIR-TX said the post encouraged a series of violent and Islamophobic comments, with some users openly calling for harm against Muslims and others justifying violence through religious language.

Shaimaa Zayan, CAIR-Texas Operations Director in Austin, described the image and caption as dangerously implying that violence is a legitimate response to the presence of Islam or Muslims. She stressed that portraying Islam as a threat amounts to explicit incitement to hatred and violence.

Zayan criticized Miller for using his public office to spread division, saying that “an elected official should promote unity and peace, not hostility.” She also questioned the sincerity of Miller’s subsequent post invoking peace, asking whether his vision of peace includes Muslims.

CAIR-TX urged Texas leaders to denounce Miller’s post and demand a formal apology, emphasizing that public officials are expected to uphold values of safety and unity. The group warned that such rhetoric fosters a climate of hate and endangers Muslim communities across the state.