Cheers erupted in the city council meeting room in Irving, Texas, last week as the city passed an ordinance to make sure foreign laws would never replace Americans or Texas laws – but the city’s Muslim activists weren’t happy.

That’s because the 5-4 vote supported a proposed state law that was inspired by the establishment of a Muslim tribunal in Irving that supporters say is meant only to help local Muslims use Islamic laws to settle domestic disputes, but critics say is the first step to getting Sharia law implemented in Texas..

“The elephant in the room in that it’s the anti-Sharia bill,” one activist told the local CBS station.

Irving Mayor Beth Van Duyne is an outspoken opponent of the Muslim tribunal and the possibility of Sharia law in the United States, but stressed during Thursday’s council meeting that the ordinance did not mention Sharia by name, or any other religion.

The point, she said, was that American and state civil laws reign supreme – and no foreign law has standing.

“Respect the, obey them, embrace them,” she said.

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