Texas Governor Greg Abbott is responding to claims that a foreign terrorist organization is planning to utilize public school facilities for an event, as revealed in a letter by Blaze News.
The 2026 Houston Islamic Games are set to take place in Cypress, Texas, around September or October, according to event organizers. These games will include a variety of competitive sports like basketball, soccer, charity runs, track and field, and swimming.
“Texans expect swift action to prevent the spread of Islamic extremism and ensure taxpayer-funded public facilities are not used to support terrorist organizations,” stated Abbott.
The event’s webpage mentions that specific dates and locations are still being confirmed. It also showcases an aerial map indicating entry points, registration areas, prayer spaces, eating zones, and areas for various sporting events at Sprague Middle School and Bridgeland High School, both part of the Cypress-Fairbanks Independent School District. Notably, these schools hosted the Houston 2025 Islamic Games last year.
Previously, the event’s website identified the New Jersey chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) as a sponsor, but this listing has since been removed. Abbott designated CAIR and the Muslim Brotherhood as foreign terrorist organizations in November. CAIR has contested this classification.
On Wednesday, Abbott’s office communicated with the Cypress-Fairbanks Independent School District, demanding that they retain all records and communications related to the matter.
“You must confirm with my office within seven days that all discussions and agreements concerning this event have been terminated,” Abbott indicated. He warned that failure to comply would lead him to instruct the Texas Education Agency to seize all relevant communications and documents related to CAIR’s involvement.
He also mentioned he would recommend the Texas Education Agency refer the findings to Attorney General Ken Paxton for potential legal actions.
In his letter, Abbott accused CAIR-NJ of glorifying “the massacre of innocent civilians by Hamas” and stressed that inviting such entities onto school grounds poses significant risks.
“State law dictates that public schools must prohibit illegal activities on school premises. Allowing this would compromise our duty to taxpayers and student safety. Radical Islamic extremists are unwelcome in Texas and in our educational institutions,” he remarked.
The Islamic Games are set to stage another event in Dallas on May 9th and 10th at schools in the Grapevine-Colleyville Independent School District, although the district said reservations are still under negotiation.
In light of the situation, the Grapevine-Colleyville Independent School District has opted to end negotiations for the use of district-owned facilities for the 2026 Islamic Games.
CAIR-NJ has expressed its stance, affirming strong support for the Islamic Games, but clarified that their involvement is mostly limited to events in New Jersey.
The Islamic Games also plans future events in locations outside Texas, including New Jersey, Ontario, Illinois, Maryland, and Michigan. Neither Cypress-Fairbanks ISD nor the Islamic Games provided comments on the situation.
