Listen
It's a Saturday evening during Ramadan and chicken curry, naan and rice are on the menu at the Maryam Islamic Center in Sugar Land.
Hundreds of people have gathered in the Houston suburb to break their fasts, under an American flag and a Texas flag waving in the center's courtyard.
"Ramadan is a spiritually grounding month for me," said Warda Wyne, a 25-year-old Pakistani American from the Dallas area. "I feel like it kind of redirects my intentions and purpose."
Wyne, who moved to Houston for dental school, brought a Catholic classmate with her to the mosque's iftar. This year, the two friends began observing Ramadan and Lent on the same day.
Ramadan is the Muslim holy month observed with daylight fasting as well as communal prayer and reflection. Lent is a 40-day observance by Christians that is marked by prayer, fasting and almsgiving.
"I feel like our generation has been doing a good job of, you know, educating themselves, getting information, seeking information and kind of making opinions and judgments on their own accord," Wyne said.
But the conversations she's having with her peers are very different from the conversations playing out in the Texas government.
Top Texas Republicans are invoking fears of Islamic extremism in their recent rhetoric and legal actions targeting Muslim groups.
In September, Texas Gov. Greg Abbott signed a law banning what his office called "sharia compounds," targeting a Dallas-area housing development geared toward Muslims. Sharia is a set of Islamic religious laws.
"The ban on sharia law in Texas is now strengthened," the governor said while signing House Bill 4211 into law.
Abbott has also barred the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR), a national Muslim civil rights group, from purchasing land in Texas by designating it as a "foreign terrorist" and "transnational criminal" organization.
CAIR has disputed Abbott’s characterization and filed a lawsuit against the governor shortly after his declaration.
RELATED: Gov. Greg Abbott’s campaign against Muslim group faces challenges under Texas and federal law
The governor has been joined in his efforts by Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton, who is running for U.S. Senate, and two GOP congressmen from Texas who started the Sharia-Free America Caucus.
For many young Muslims, this attitude is at odds with the largely welcoming Texas they call home.
Later that same Saturday in Sugar Land, dozens came to hang out at a Yemeni coffee shop and socialize after breaking their daily fast.
Among them was 27-year-old Ayesha Imran, who ordered a caramel macchiato and honeycomb bread.
"When people see the truth and how welcoming people are from the Muslim community, I think that all that propaganda goes, you know, out the window, to be honest," she said.
Imran grew up in Massachusetts, where she said she was one of the only Muslims in her friend group. Here she feels part of a larger Muslim community.
RELATED: Houston’s historic Ismaili Center opening its doors to the public
Both Houston and Dallas are known for their significant Muslim populations. About 2 percent of adults in Texas practice Islam, according to the Pew Research Center.
"Coming here was definitely a big change," Imran said. "I saw a lot of different groups of Muslims, Arabs, Pakistanis."
Imran says she enjoys the feeling of community that Ramadan brings and believes it demonstrates what Islam is really about – hospitality, devotion and service.
At a table outside the coffee shop, a group of young men, including 18-year-old Samer Dimassi, played the card game "Mafia."
Dimassi was born and raised in the Houston suburbs. He's aware of the anti-Muslim sentiment from Republican elected officials, but he said he doesn't let it bother him.He loves being Muslim. And he's found his home state to be otherwise welcoming.
"I think all religions can be peaceful in America," he said. "I feel like there's a lot of Muslims here, so we should have the right to believe what we believe."
Copyright 2026 Houston Public Media News 88.7