AhlulBayt News Agency (ABNA): A group of Democratic lawmakers in the U.S. state of Texas have accused the state government of religious discrimination against Islamic schools, saying their exclusion from a $1 billion private school voucher program could carry serious legal consequences.
The objections followed a media report indicating that no Islamic private school has so far been approved to participate in the program. According to the report, several Islamic educational institutions were removed from the state’s approved list, while others were effectively barred from participation following reviews conducted by the state comptroller’s office.
In a letter addressed to Kelly Hancock, the Democrats described the process as “a troubling pattern of exclusion with constitutional implications,” warning that it could expose the program to litigation.
Salman Bhojani, a Muslim member of the state legislature, said the promise of “educational freedom for all” had been made to Texans, but that Muslim communities in the state have effectively been left out of the initiative.
The comptroller’s office began accepting school applications in December. While some Islamic school officials have raised concerns about possible religious discrimination, they say they remain hopeful that approval to participate will ultimately be granted. More than 100,000 families have registered to benefit from the program so far.
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