Virginia — quick reality check.
The 2026 General Assembly session may be over, but the bigger fight isn’t. Sen. Saddam Azlan Salim’s SB 624 — the bill that would have inserted “Islamophobia” language directly into Virginia’s assault and battery statutes — was pushed to 2027 after a unanimous 15–0 committee vote.
On the surface, that sounds like a win. It’s not that simple.
SB 624 would have created the first religion-specific definition inside Virginia’s criminal code. It proposed enhanced consideration for acts motivated by “malicious prejudice or hatred” against Muslims — including cases where someone is merely perceived to be Muslim.
Here’s the issue:
Virginia already has assault and battery laws.
Virginia already has hate crime statutes.
Those laws apply to everyone equally.
Carving out religion-specific language inside criminal statutes raises serious constitutional questions. Why elevate one faith category in criminal code while others rely on general protections?
Critics argue that language like this risks chilling lawful speech — especially criticism of religious doctrine or political ideology — by blurring the line between criminal conduct and protected expression. Once you begin embedding faith-specific protections into statute, you step into dangerous Establishment Clause territory.
SB 624 didn’t pass. But it didn’t disappear either.
This debate is coming back in 2027 — and Virginians should understand exactly what’s being proposed before it returns.
At the same time, Virginia isn’t completely passive on this front.
While Salim advances legislation in Richmond, Reps. Ben Cline (VA-06) and John McGuire (VA-05) have aligned themselves with the Sharia-Free America Caucus at the federal level. The caucus, formed in December 2025 by Reps. Keith Self (TX-03) and Chip Roy (TX-21), now includes more than 30 members across multiple states.
In early February 2026, alongside Sen. Tommy Tuberville (AL), members promoted H.R. 5722 / S. 3009 — the “Preserving a Sharia-Free America Act.” The proposal would make it grounds for inadmissibility or removal if a foreign national advocates for the application of Sharia law in ways that conflict with constitutional protections and U.S. civil rights.
Supporters argue the legislation is about reinforcing constitutional supremacy and preventing the adoption of parallel legal frameworks that contradict U.S. law. With backing from senior House leadership, caucus members are positioning the effort as a firm boundary: U.S. law governs in the United States — period.
One state, two very different approaches.
On one side, Sen. Salim is advancing legislation that many critics argue singles out one religion for special statutory treatment. On the other, members of the Sharia-Free America Caucus are pushing federal legislation they say reinforces constitutional supremacy and prevents the creation of parallel legal standards.
The Establishment Clause is clear: government cannot elevate one religion above others, nor can it target one for disfavored treatment. Neutrality under the law is not optional, however Islam is an ideology not a religion.
Layer onto that the broader political landscape in Virginia. Gov. Abigail Spanberger previously worked as an English teacher at the Islamic Saudi Academy in Northern Virginia, a school that faced federal scrutiny years ago over curriculum concerns and alleged extremist ties. Spanberger has stated her role was limited to teaching and unrelated to those controversies. Still, critics point to that history, along with her immigration policy positions, as part of a broader ideological concern.
Lt. Gov. Ghazala Hashmi, the first Muslim elected statewide in Virginia, has received endorsements from advocacy organizations such as Emgage and CAIR. Supporters view those relationships as routine political coalition-building. Opponents argue those groups’ broader affiliations and policy positions deserve closer examination, particularly when paired with legislative efforts framed around “Islamophobia.”
The issue, at its core, isn’t about anyone’s faith. It’s about whether public policy remains grounded in constitutional neutrality and equal protection — without special carve-outs, preferential definitions, or incremental shifts that could alter the balance of rights under the law.
That debate isn’t going away.
The 26-Year Sharia Creep Onslaught: A Slow-Motion Takeover Exposed
Sharia Creep didn't spawn overnight—it's a calculated 26-year+ grind, warping innocent laws into Islamist strongholds. Let's break down the phases, because ignorance is how they win:
1. Post-9/11 Setup & Sympathy Play (2001-2008): Amid a 250% explosion in Islamophobia claims, bipartisan moves like H.Res. 234 condemned anti-Muslim bigotry. Virginia's HB 3082 rolled out broad religious freedoms for all—but it baited the hook for Creep, prioritizing Islam in the narrative. EEOC reports painted Muslims as prime victims, setting up future special statuses.
2. Federal Entrenchment & Normalization (2009-2020): The Matthew Shepard Act embedded religion in federal hate crimes, with a token 1st Amend. nod. NO BAN Act railed against "Muslim bans," framing border security as bigotry. H.Res. 512 slammed global blasphemy laws—yet today's U.S. bills ironically push similar speech curbs for Islam. This era normalized Creep as "equity."
3. Data Domination & Surveillance Surge (2021-2024): COVID-19 Hate Crimes Act turbocharged bias tracking across the board. But the Combating International Islamophobia Act (squeaking through House 219-212) birthed dedicated Islam-monitoring offices, treating Islamophobia as uniquely urgent. Virginia's SB 7/HB 18 expanded ethnic hate crimes unanimously—now a stealth gateway for Islam-specific add-ons like SB624.
4. 2025-2026 Full Assault & Pushback: Islamophobia offensives (SB624, federal H.R.959/S.805) rampage forward, clashing with the Sharia-Free Caucus's seven anti-Creep weapons (e.g., No Shari'a Act banning Sharia in courts). SB624's "pause" to 2027? Just reloading for the next Creep wave.
Europe's already capitulated to this poison: The UK's 85+ Sharia councils dictate family law, often shafting women with unequal inheritance and divorce rights—despite government probes calling it discriminatory. Greece enforces Sharia in Western Thrace for Muslims, flouting ECHR rulings on democracy and equality. Germany's Sharia creeps into family disputes; France's veil bans spark endless tension, but Islamist demands keep escalating. Parallel systems breed division, suppress women, and erode secular law—Virginia's trajectory if Spanberger/Hashmi/Salim's radical ties win out.
Radical Islamist Puppeteers: Spanberger, Hashmi, & The Brotherhood Web
Sharia Creep thrives on insiders with radical Islamist baggage:
- Gov. Abigail Spanberger: CIA vet turned governor, but her dark secret? Teaching at the Islamic Saudi Academy ("Terror High")—a Saudi Wahhabi propaganda mill with grads joining al-Qaeda/ISIS, textbooks preaching jihad against "infidels," and a valedictorian busted for Bush assassination plots. Federal probes exposed its terror links, yet Spanberger's there post-9/11. Her pro-immigration votes? Fuel for Creep, letting radicals slip in.
- Lt. Gov. Ghazala Hashmi: Trailblazing first Muslim statewide, but her fire? Trump's "Muslim ban." Emgage/CAIR endorsements—Brotherhood tentacles—propel her anti-Islamophobia crusade, aligning perfectly with Creep to muzzle critics and embed Sharia protections. Her "diversity" mask? Just Creep in disguise.
- Sen. Salim: SB624 mastermind, Emgage/CAIR insider—Brotherhood blueprint alive in VA.
- Federal Accomplices: Omar/Tlaib/Carson, swimming in CAIR cash and events—pure Creep accelerators.
- Anti-Creep Avengers: Sharia-Free Caucus: 33 fighters like Roy/Self/Tuberville/Emmer—Cline/McGuire holding VA's line. Roster: TX (7), FL (4), AZ (3), etc.
Brotherhood's Jihad Blueprint: Spanberger/Hashmi/Salim as Perfect Pawns
The Muslim Brotherhood Explanatory Memorandum? A chilling manifesto for "grand jihad," sabotaging America via internal settlement: Mosques as "axes," lobbies as weapons, laws as conquest tools. Phases: Inner fortification, alliance-building, public-private fusion. Fronts like ISNA/MSA/ICNA/CAIR—tied to terror trials—execute it. Spanberger's "Terror High" role and Hashmi's Emgage/CAIR alliances fit like gloves—Creep through education, policy, and "protections." CAIR's $17k Dem donations? Buying influence for jihad.
VA, Sharia Creep didn't die—it's thriving under Spanberger/Hashmi/Salim's radical web. Europe's parallel hell is our warning. Rally behind the Caucus, expose the jihad.
Sources
VA LIS: https://lis.virginia.gov
Congress.gov: https://www.congress.gov
Brotherhood Memo: https://www.investigativeproject.org/documents/misc/20.pdf
OpenSecrets: https://www.opensecrets.org
Self Site: https://keithself.house.gov
Tuberville: https://www.tuberville.senate.gov
ACT: https://www.actforamerica.org
CSP: https://centerforsecuritypolicy.org
USCIRF: https://www.uscirf.gov
ECHR: https://hudoc.echr.coe.int
UK Sharia: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/applying-sharia-law-in-england-and-wales
Spanberger X Article: https://x.com/VaChangeAgent/status/1947753420712013855?s=20