Islam’s growing influence in American public life is no longer a fringe concern or a social media rumor. It is happening in politics, in key states like Texas, and across the digital landscape where young people form their worldview. CBN’s latest report on the subject raises serious questions about where this trend is headed and what it means for Christians who care about the nation’s future.
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Christians are not called to fear, but to discern. Scripture speaks plainly about guarding truth, resisting deception and recognizing threats that undermine the freedom to live out our faith. As this report shows, the rise of political Islam in the United States is something Americans should be paying attention to.
1. Islam’s Expansion Into American Politics
The first area of concern is political. As the CBN segment notes, “Twenty-four years after 9/11, a foreign-born Muslim will be sworn in as mayor of New York City.” His election, the report suggests, may “inspire more Muslims to enter politics.”
The question is not whether Muslims have the right to run for office. They do. The concern raised by youth culture and religion expert Alex McFarland is whether these political victories will be used to promote secular governance or advance Islam and Sharia law in American cities.
McFarland told CBN there is “a very real concern about the encroachment of Islam and really the infiltration of Islamists into American government.” He added that this is not “Islamophobia” but “realism,” especially given what he describes as long-term ideological goals within segments of the Islamic world.
According to McFarland, Western leaders are “very naive to think that they do not desire a cultural infiltration and the ultimate bringing down of America.”
2. Islam’s Growing Footprint in Texas
The second area CBN highlights is Texas, where rumors and reports of new Islamic centers, mosque expansions and organized efforts to influence local culture have been circulating.
A viral video shared on X shows San Diego imam Shahid Umar Ibn Farooq stating, “Know this, that Islam will enter every house. Every house. Don’t worry about the Islamophobes. They can yap all they want. Their children will be Muslim.”
Farooq denies he intends to dominate or impose Sharia law and told interviewers he only wants to “spread faith.” McFarland strongly disputed that claim, saying, “Muslims are taught that they are at liberty to lie. It’s the doctrine that they can lie for the cause of Islam.”
He argues that when Islamists speak of spreading faith, the real goal is “further to weave Islam and Sharia concepts into American life to ultimately subjugate and bring down the great infidel. That’s us.”
McFarland even described interviewing workers involved in the construction of a large Islamic center in Texas. According to him, some tradesmen refused the job until they were offered “as much as three times the going rate” to participate. He believes centers like this “are threatening the stabilization and the security of America.”
Texas lawmakers have taken notice. The state banned Sharia law in its cities, joining ten other states that have passed similar legislation. McFarland said, “It is not an overreaction. It’s very prudent.” He went further, suggesting that states “should use eminent domain to take back” centers that could become “jihadist terror cell incubators.”
3. Islam’s Digital and Cultural Push Among Young People
The third front McFarland identifies is social media, where Islamic activists are intentionally trying to shape the next generation.
Farooq has urged young Muslims to “flood social media with pro-Muslim posts” to advance Islam in the United States. McFarland warns that this is a deliberate strategy aimed at influencing young Americans and normalizing Islamic ideology in public discourse.
He emphasized that Christianity is the only force strong enough to resist ideological systems that seek to dominate. “Ultimately, the force that can hold at bay either the iron fist of Marxism or the iron sword of Sharia is Christianity,” he said.
McFarland also referred to an article from The Atlantic stating that “the jihadists are the faithful Muslims” and that moderate, westernized Muslims are considered “backsliders.” In his view, the popular claim that Islam is a religion of peace is “really naive.”
The Christian Obligation to Be Watchful
The interview is not a call to hatred or fear. Christians are commanded to love their neighbors, including Muslims, and to pray for all to come to the saving knowledge of Christ. McFarland made that clear, saying he prays “for the salvation of the Islamic world because that is really the ultimate hope.”
But love does not mean blindness. These developments carry long-term implications for the nation’s legal structure, civic identity and cultural stability.
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If Christians care about religious liberty, the Constitution and the mission Christ gave His people, then vigilance is not optional. It is necessary.
James Lasher, a seasoned writer and editor at Charisma Media, combines faith and storytelling with a background in journalism from Otterbein University and ministry experience in Guatemala and the LA Dream Center. A Marine Corps and Air Force veteran, he is the author of The Revelation of Jesus: A Common Man’s Commentary and a contributor to Charisma magazine.
