MPAC's First Amendment Center Welcomes Governor Hobbs' Veto of Arizona's Anti-Muslim "Sharia" Bill

Washington, D.C. | mpac.org | July 6, 2026—The Muslim Public Affairs Council's (MPAC) First Amendment Center welcomes Arizona Governor Katie Hobbs' veto of SB 1018, legislation that sought to revive the long-discredited practice of singling out Islam for special legislative scrutiny.

For years, so-called "anti-Sharia" bills have been introduced across the country despite the absence of any evidence that Islamic religious principles threaten the American legal system. These measures do not solve a real constitutional problem. Instead, they reinforce harmful stereotypes about Muslims, fuel suspicion toward an entire faith community, and invite government to treat one religion differently from all others.

The First Amendment demands religious neutrality. Government should never elevate or disfavor one faith over another, nor should it enact legislation rooted in fear of a particular religious tradition. Laws like SB 1018 undermine that principle by placing Islam under a legislative microscope in a way no other religion is.

Dahlia Taha, Founding Director of MPAC's First Amendment Center, said:

"Our Constitution does not permit government to single out one faith for special suspicion. Bills like SB 1018 are not about protecting religious freedom—they erode it by treating Islam as uniquely suspect under the law. Governor Hobbs' veto reaffirms that constitutional rights belong equally to every American, regardless of their faith."

MPAC's First Amendment Center commends Governor Hobbs for rejecting legislation that would have further stigmatized Arizona's Muslim community and for reaffirming the constitutional promise of religious liberty, equal protection, and government neutrality toward religion.