Tarrant county Republicans in Texas will vote Thursday on an effort by a faction to remove their vice chairman, Shahid Shafi, because he's Muslim.

Fort Worth is the largest city in Tarrant county.

The campaign against Shafi, a trauma surgeon and member of the Southlake City Council, was mounted by a small group of Republicans led by Dorrie O'Brien, a precinct chairman from Grand Prairie.

O’Brien writes on Facebook that she “never doubted” her side has the votes to remove Shafi from his post.”

“We don’t think he’s suitable as a practicing Muslim to be vice chair because he’d be the representative for ALL Republicans in Tarrant County, and not ALL Republicans in Tarrant County think Islam is safe or acceptable, O'Brien wrote on Facebook, adding that "there are big questions surrounding exactly where Dr. Shafi’s loyalties lie, vis a vis Democrat and Republican policies.”

O’Brien says her effort to oust Shafi is not about his religion, but whether he supports Islam or is connected “to Islamic terror groups,” according to the Star-Telegram.

Shafi emigrated to the U.S. from Pakistan in 1990 and became a naturalized citizen in 2009, the Texas Tribune reports. He was appointed vice chairman six months ago by chairman Darl Easton.

“It’s just outrageous that we are doing this,” says Easton, the Star-Telegram reports. "It’s disgusting.”

In a recent letter to county precinct chairs, Easton said it is an "injustice" to allow a Muslim to be a party member for over eight years, accept his donations and volunteer work, "then suddenly declare his religion is unsuitable to be in an appointed position in the Party."

Easton called that was "clearly deception of the highest order.”

In an open letter, Shafi wrote that he believes “much of the hate against Muslims is driven by a fear of terrorism.”

“Here are the facts. I have never had any association with the Muslim Brotherhood nor [the Council on American-Islamic Relations] nor any terrorist organization,” he wrote. “I believe that the laws of our nation are our Constitution and the laws passed by our elected legislatures – I have never promoted any form of Sharia Law. I fully support and believe in American Laws for American Courts.

“I am honored to be an American and a Republican,” he added.

“This is, unfortunately, not the first time that people or my political opponents have tried to use my religion against me to distract the voters,” Shafi told The Washington Post ahead of Thursday's vote.“And unfortunately, I don’t think it will be the last either.”

Several prominent Texas Republicans, including Sen. Ted Cruz, Texas Land commissioner George P. Bush and former House Speaker Joe Straus have spoken out on Shafi's behalf.

The Texas GOP executive committee has also rallied to Shafi's cause, passing a non-discrimination resolution that affirms and supports “all Americans’ right to practice their religion … and recognizes the contributions of Republicans of every faith who advance conservative policies and ideals.”

"Let’s be as one. Let’s show everybody, this is the Republican Party of Texas. We are not the party of bigots,” said JT Edwards, a member of the state Republican Executive committee, last week before the adoption of the resolution, the Austin American-Statesman reported.