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While Muslims make up less than 2% of Texas’ population, GOP candidates have made the religious group the centerpiece of their campaigns this cycle, running ads and sending mailers about Sharia law and the “Islamification” of Texas. The rhetoric has spilled over into legislation and legal action, with many state leaders promising there is more to come.

Rep. Salman Bhojani, a Democrat from Euless and one of the first Muslims elected to the state Legislature, said while the undercurrent of discrimination against Muslims is nothing new, the tone and intensity has reached new heights in recent months.

Bhojani joined TribCast to talk about the realities of the Muslim community in Texas, how this backlash is impacting their daily lives and what he hopes to accomplish with his new Religious Liberty Caucus.

Watch the video above or subscribe to the TribCast on iTunes, Spotify, or RSS. New episodes every Tuesday.

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Eleanor Klibanoff is the law and politics reporter, based in Austin, where she covers the the Texas Legislature, the Office of the Attorney General, state and federal courts and politics writ large. She...