Probe Urged into Texas Funeral Commission Over Anti-Muslim Comments
The request follows disclosures that in May, Kristin Tips, presiding officer of the Texas Funeral Service Commission, sent Islam-related graphic content to then-executive director Scott Bingaman. According to reports, Bingaman responded by saying it was “tough to be tolerant when taught hate.”
CAIR’s Research and Advocacy Director Corey Saylor said the incident raised questions about possible bias within the commission and the governor’s own role, according to the rights advocacy group website.
He argued that Abbott should “open the books to an impartial investigator” so Texans can know whether prejudice influenced state action.
Read More:
Earlier this year, Abbott accused the East Plano Islamic Center (EPIC) of carrying out funeral services without proper authorization. The commission issued a statement on March 26 saying it was taking action against EPIC, which later filed a lawsuit claiming state officials were selectively enforcing rules on Muslim burials at its mosque.
Bingaman has since been dismissed and has alleged that Tips misused her role to lobby for funeral industry interests, according to the Houston Chronicle. The commission is also facing two other lawsuits.
CAIR’s concerns tie into a broader dispute over EPIC City, a Muslim-led development project in Plano.
The organization has argued that Abbott and anti-Muslim campaigners have fueled unfounded fears about the project. In a recent analysis, CAIR noted that Abbott reshared content from accounts promoting anti-Muslim views, including one post that described Islam as “a militant ideology cloaked in religious rhetoric.”
Read More:
KERA, a Texas public broadcaster, reported that while EPIC’s funeral license expired in 2022, the mosque continues to work with a licensed provider, Rahma Funeral Homes, which has operated since 2004. In a July letter, the commission told EPIC that it had not received credible evidence of violations.
CAIR maintains that these developments point to a troubling pattern. “The current picture we have is that anti-Muslim hate drove his attack on EPIC City and possibly influenced the funeral service commission as well,” Saylor said.
Source: Agencies
