Texas Student Testifies on Sharia Controversy
A student from Wylie East High School in Texas testified in front of Congress after receiving death threats for criticizing an Islamic group’s actions on campus. Marco Hunter-Lopez, the 16-year-old president of the campus Republican Club, spoke at the House Judiciary Subcommittee on Constitution and Limited Government on May 13. The hearing was titled “Sharia-Free America.”
Hunter-Lopez described encountering an Islamic booth on February 2, where women from the organization “Why Islam?” distributed hijabs, Qurans with conversion instructions, and a pamphlet titled “Understanding Sharia” to female students. This incident gained national attention after Hunter-Lopez posted videos on social media. He detailed receiving threats, with some people saying they would harm him at his home.
During his testimony, Hunter-Lopez stated that Sharia law conflicts with the U.S. Constitution and criticized the distribution of materials promoting Sharia without parental consent, arguing it undermines the principles schools should support. He called it ideological promotion under the pretense of diversity and inclusion.
“Handing materials that present Sharia favorably to minors during the school day — without parental approval — risks normalizing ideas that undermine the very principles our public schools are supposed to uphold,” he said. “This is not neutral education; it is ideological promotion under the guise of diversity and inclusion.”
Rep. Jamie Raskin questioned the need for laws targeting specific religious groups. Hunter-Lopez responded by emphasizing America’s Christian foundations, stating most signers of the Declaration of Independence were Christians. Clips of this exchange went viral, and Hunter-Lopez was praised for his responses.
Hunter-Lopez credited his Christian faith for his resilience, adding that his peers have been encouraged to voice their opinions after the death of Turning Point USA’s founder, Charlie Kirk. “After that, instead of being scared to speak up, I actually saw more students brave to speak out,” he told Fox News Digital.
Hunter-Lopez also described difficulties his Republican Club faced, such as being denied initially for being too political and facing selective enforcement of policies. Wylie Independent School District denied these claims, stating they do not endorse any religion and strive to remain neutral while respecting constitutional rights.
The school attributed the booth incident to a procedural error, stating visitor procedures were not properly followed. The district has since updated procedures to prevent such situations.
Reps. Chip Roy and Keith Self, who launched the “Sharia-Free America Caucus,” supported Hunter-Lopez’s stance. Roy highlighted the rapid spread of Sharia influence in Texas and praised Hunter-Lopez for speaking out.