Washington, D.C. | www.mpac.org | February 10, 2026— The Muslim Public Affairs Council (MPAC) expresses serious concern regarding the House Judiciary Subcommittee hearing scheduled for February 10, 2026, titled “Sharia-Free America: Why Political Islam and Sharia Law are Incompatible with the U.S. Constitution.”
The hearing advances a false premise by portraying Islam, a constitutionally protected religion practiced by millions of Americans, as a political threat. This framing undermines religious freedom and contributes to harmful public misunderstanding.
Of particular concern is the majority’s witness panel. Two of the three witnesses, Robert Spencer and Krista Schild, are associated with far-right extremist rhetoric linked to real-world violence.
Robert Spencer, a political commentator with no formal training in Islamic law, was cited dozens of times in the manifesto of the perpetrator of the 2011 mass-casualty attack in Norway that killed 77 people. His work has circulated widely in extremist spaces despite lacking credibility in mainstream academic or policy institutions.
Krista Schild leads the RAIR Foundation, which interviewed an individual just days before he carried out a deadly vehicular attack at a Christmas market in Germany. That attacker publicly expressed extreme anti-Muslim views consistent with narratives promoted by her organization.
Congressional hearings should elevate credible expertise and protect public safety. Instead, this hearing excludes qualified scholars of Islamic law while providing a platform to individuals linked to extremist ecosystems. This choice raises serious concerns about the purpose and consequences of the proceeding.
MPAC urges Members of Congress, the media, and the public to scrutinize the credibility of the witnesses and reject fear-based narratives that place entire religious communities at risk. America’s commitment to religious freedom and equal protection must be upheld.
