{"id":2568515,"date":"2026-02-10T18:46:57","date_gmt":"2026-02-10T23:46:57","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/house-democrat-draws-laughs-by-likening-sharia-to-project-2025\/"},"modified":"2026-02-10T18:49:28","modified_gmt":"2026-02-10T23:49:28","slug":"house-democrat-draws-laughs-by-likening-sharia-to-project-2025","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/house-democrat-draws-laughs-by-likening-sharia-to-project-2025\/","title":{"rendered":"House Democrat draws laughs by likening sharia to Project 2025"},"content":{"rendered":"<aside class=\"mashsb-container mashsb-main mashsb-stretched\"><div class=\"mashsb-box\"><div class=\"mashsb-count mash-medium\" style=\"float:left\"><div class=\"counts mashsbcount\">20<\/div><span class=\"mashsb-sharetext\">SHARES<\/span><\/div><div class=\"mashsb-buttons\"><a class=\"mashicon-facebook mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.conservativenewsdaily.net%2Fbreaking-news%2Fhouse-democrat-draws-laughs-by-likening-sharia-to-project-2025%2F\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Facebook<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-twitter mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/intent\/tweet?text=&amp;url=https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/?p=2568515&amp;via=ConservNewsDly\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Twitter<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-subscribe mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"#\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Subscribe<\/span><\/a><div class=\"onoffswitch2 mash-medium mashsb-noshadow\" style=\"display:none\"><\/div><\/div>\n            <\/div>\n                <div style=\"clear:both\"><\/div><\/aside>\n            <!-- Share buttons by mashshare.net - Version: 4.0.47--><p>At a House Judiciary Committee hearing titled \u201cSharia-Free America,\u201d Republicans warned of efforts to impose Sharia law in U.S. communities, citing examples such as planned Muslim-led developments in Texas. democrats, including Rep. Steve Cohen, challenged the framing, with Cohen\u2019s quip comparing Islamic practices to the heritage Foundation\u2019s Project 2025 drawing laughter in the chamber. Cohen argued the hearing diverted attention from <a href=\"https:\/\/amzn.to\/3YuVZYV\" >core constitutional issues<\/a>, while Chair Chip roy said Sharia could undermine U.S. laws and freedoms.Republicans asserted that Sharia promotes violence, silences dissent, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/senate-rejects-religious-freedom-protections-approves-respect-for-marriage-act-biden-to-sign\/\" title=\"Senate Rejects Religious ... Protections, Approves \u2018Respect for Marriage Act;\u2019 Biden to Sign\">rejects religious freedom<\/a>, and subjugates women and children, citing polygamy and domestic violence as examples\u2014points Democrats rejected as overreach and warned against First Amendment violations if Sharia were banned.The exchange highlighted a polarized debate over religious liberty, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/blackburn-introduces-amendments-to-counter-china-and-iran\/\" title=\"Blackburn Introduces Amendments to Counter China and Iran\">national security concerns<\/a>, and how Islam should be portrayed in U.S. policy discussions.  <\/p>\n<p class=\"readmore\">\n    <button onclick=\"showReadMore()\" id=\"readmorebtn\">Read more&#8230;<\/button>\n<\/p>\n<hr id=\"line\">\n<span id=\"more\"><\/p>\n<p><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><\/p>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><span class=\"tdb-mobile-menu-button\"><i class=\"tdb-mobile-menu-icon td-icon-mobile\"><\/i><\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><span class=\"tdb-header-search-button-mob dropdown-toggle\" data-toggle=\"dropdown\"><i class=\"tdb-mobile-search-icon td-icon-search\"><\/i><\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><span class=\"tdb-mobile-menu-button\"><i class=\"tdb-mobile-menu-icon td-icon-mobile\"><\/i><\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\">\n<div class=\"tdb-drop-down-search\" aria-labelledby=\"td-header-search-button\">\n<div class=\"tdb-drop-down-search-inner\">\n<form method=\"get\" class=\"tdb-search-form\" action=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/\"><\/form>\n<div class=\"tdb-aj-search\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/#\" role=\"button\" aria-label=\"Search\" class=\"tdb-head-search-btn dropdown-toggle\" data-toggle=\"dropdown\"><i class=\"tdb-search-icon td-icon-search\"><\/i><\/a><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\">\n<h1 class=\"tdb-title-text\">House Democrat draws laughs by likening sharia to Project 2025 at judiciary hearing<\/h1>\n<div><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-title-line\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\">\n<div id=\"Brid_2501253\" class=\"tpd-featured-video bridtv\"><\/div>\n<p>Rep. Steve Cohen (D-TN) likened <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/Islam\/\">Islamic<\/a> religious practices to the Heritage Foundation&rsquo;s Project 2025 during a <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/house-judiciary-committee\/\">House Judiciary Committee<\/a> hearing Tuesday.<\/p>\n<p>The Republican-convened hearing, <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=TqHdpHCc04I\">&ldquo;Sharia-Free America,&rdquo; <\/a>was called to examine what GOP lawmakers described as efforts to impose sharia, the Islamic moral and legal code derived from the Quran, in U.S. communities.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<div class=\"recommended-stories\">\n<h2>Recommended Stories<\/h2>\n<ul>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/house\/4452844\/ice-leader-todd-lyons-declines-defend-kristi-noem-amid-calls-for-resignation\/\">ICE leader Todd Lyons declines to defend Kristi Noem amid calls for her resignation<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/house\/4452788\/house-passes-measure-mint-coin-america-250\/\">House passes measure to mint collectible $2.50 coin for America 250<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/house\/4452611\/mike-johnson-trump-tariff-repeal-votes-gop-resistance\/\">Johnson effort to block Trump tariff repeal votes hits GOP resistance<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"article-paywall\">\n<p>&ldquo;That sounds like a Middle Eastern version of Project 2025,&rdquo; Cohen said as he criticized the warning of sharia&rsquo;s influence in the United States.<\/p>\n<p>Cohen&rsquo;s comments came after Robert Spencer, a fellow of the David Horowitz Freedom Center and witness at the hearing, explained the <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/muslim-brotherhood\/\">Muslim Brotherhood<\/a> memorandum, which details the organization&rsquo;s plan to eliminate and destroy Western civilization from within by their own hands and give it to Islamic believers.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>The remark prompted audible laughs from some lawmakers in the chamber.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>Cohen tried to land a laugh earlier in his allotted time during a back-and-forth exchange with Spencer.<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;Sir, I&rsquo;ve got the floor. You&rsquo;re not [Attorney General] Pam Bondi,&rdquo; Cohen said.<\/p>\n<p>Cohen said he was &ldquo;confused about this hearing,&rdquo; arguing that <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/congress\/\">Congress<\/a> was devoting time to a perceived threat rather than what he described as more pressing constitutional issues. He cited concerns of presidential power, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/amid-mounting-opposition-democrats-move-forward-on-stalled-justice-dept-nominee\/\" title=\"Amid Mounting Opposition, Democrats Move Forward on Stalled Justice Dept. Nominee\">civil rights violations<\/a>, and violence by law enforcement.<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;We&rsquo;ve got so much to deal with,&rdquo; Cohen said. &ldquo;And we&rsquo;re talking about sharia law.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<p>Committee Chairman <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/chip-roy\/\">Chip Roy<\/a> (R-TX) said the hearing was intended to highlight what he and his fellow Texans see as a growing problem that has not received sufficient attention.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;Sharia encourages violence, silences dissent, rejects religious freedom, and subjugates women and children,&rdquo; Roy said to begin the hearing. &ldquo;Let&rsquo;s be clear, this is not about having the freedom of worshiping a religion of one&rsquo;s choosing, such as Islam, but forcing a foreign legal code that is incompatible with our laws and legal system that provides unwanted consequences to the American people, everything we&rsquo;ve fought against for more than 250 years.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<p>For example, sharia permits polygamy and domestic violence, both of which are illegal in the U.S.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/house\/4452844\/ice-leader-todd-lyons-declines-defend-kristi-noem-amid-calls-for-resignation\/\"><strong>ICE LEADER TODD LYONS DECLINES TO DEFEND KRISTI NOEM AMID CALLS FOR HER RESIGNATION<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n<p>GOP members also pointed to proposed Muslim-led developments in <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/texas\/\">Texas<\/a>, including planned residential communities, as examples of what they described as efforts to create enclaves governed by religious norms.<\/p>\n<p>Democrats, however, dismissed the worry that sharia poses a threat to the country and warned of <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/first-amendment\/\">First Amendment <\/a>violations if the Islamic moral code were to be banned in the U.S.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<p><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Cohen compares sharia to Project 2025 at hearing<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":4130,"featured_media":2568516,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_mo_disable_npp":"","fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/Rep-Steve-Cohen.webp?w=696","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[33651],"tags":[4402,50380,5894,62604],"class_list":["post-2568515","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-the-western-journal","tag-congress","tag-humor-2","tag-politics","tag-sharia-law"],"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/Rep-Steve-Cohen.webp?w=696","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2568515","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/4130"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2568515"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2568515\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2568519,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2568515\/revisions\/2568519"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2568516"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2568515"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2568515"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2568515"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}