(RNS) — Democrats in Congress condemned a recently formed congressional group that claims Islamic religious law is a growing threat in the United States, calling it a “hateful caucus” that discriminates against American Muslims.

In a letter on Monday (June 8), 119 congressional members lodged their opposition to the group to House and Senate leaders, marking the first time Democrats officially responded to the Sharia-Free America Caucus since Republican members launched it last December. 

“The premise underlying this caucus and the measures associated with it reflects longstanding Islamophobic narratives and anti-Muslim sentiment rather than any demonstrated policy need,” the Democratic lawmakers wrote. 

The caucus targeting Sharia, or Islamic religious law, harkens back to anti-Muslim movements that flourished during the post-9/11 era and the early 2010s. 

Led by Republican U.S. Reps. Chip Roy and Keith Self of Texas, the caucus has steadily grown to at least 66 House members from 25 states. 

Caucus members have introduced several related House bills in recent months, including the Preserving a Sharia-Free America Act and No Shari’a Act, the latter of which aims to ban Sharia in cases where it would “violate constitutional rights, and for other purposes” according to its summary. Critics say it would deny Muslims their right to free speech and freedom of religion.

Reached by RNS via email, Rep. Riley Moore, R-W. Va., a member of the caucus, said he wasn’t surprised that Democrats are “defending” Sharia law, which he said is a “cultural and religious insurgency deployed with the goal of destroying the most critical pillar that western civilization rests on: Christianity.”

For Muslims, Sharia is a sacred law that guides their personal lives. It includes rules for charity, prayer, pilgrimage, inheritance and marriage. Arabic for “the path to water,” Sharia also includes criminal law, though Muslim American scholars have consistently said those laws do not apply in non-Muslim countries and do not supersede U.S. law. 

In the letter, Democratic Congress members asked House and Senate leaders, who play a role in determining what bills advance, not to schedule floor time for legislation affiliated with the caucus.

The bills “address no identifiable gap in U.S. law” and raise First Amendment violation concerns, Democrats wrote in the letter. 

“Congress must not legitimize anti-Muslim proposals that undermine those protections or foster division among the people we represent,” the letter continued. 

A House judiciary subcommittee, led by caucus co-founder Roy, held two hearings in February and May about why Sharia is “incompatible with the U.S. Constitution.”

The U.S. Council of Muslim Organizations, an umbrella organization that claims to represent over 50 Muslim groups, condemned the hearings in May, saying House Republicans are “inciting hatred against American Muslims” and “using Muslims as a political football to win elections.”

Discriminatory content targeting Muslims across social media platforms has escalated “at an alarming pace” this year, according to an analysis by the Center for the Study of Organized Hate, a nonprofit think tank based in Washington, D.C.

In recent months, some Democratic lawmakers have individually condemned brazen anti-Muslim comments from caucus members, including Rep. Andy Ogles’ (Tenn.) social media site X comment that “Muslims don’t belong in American society” and Rep. Randy Fine’s (Fla.) recommendation on X to “destroy” mainstream Muslims. 

The Democratic show of opposition was led by Rep. James E. Clyburn, S.C., who is chair of the Democratic Faith Working Group; Sen. Chris Van Hollen, Md.; Reps. André Carson, Ind., Rosa DeLauro, Conn., Jerry Nadler, N.Y., Hank Johnson, Ga. and Ro Khanna, Calif.