As Texas faces what many conservatives describe as the growing influence of Islam, one figure stands out in Republican circles: S. Javaid Anwar, also known as Syed Javaid Anwar.
Anwar, a Muslim oil executive from Midland who was born in Pakistan, has donated millions to Governor Greg Abbott’s campaigns while staying active in Muslim-American heritage groups, mosques, and community projects.
Meanwhile, Abbott has become a leading critic of Sharia law, labeling the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) and the Muslim Brotherhood as foreign terrorist organizations in November 2025 and promising to stop what he calls efforts to “forcibly impose Sharia law and establish Islam’s mastership of the world.”
Public records show that Anwar has been Abbott’s largest individual donor in several election cycles.
According to Transparency USA, he gave $2,222,086 directly to Abbott and Texans for Greg Abbott. In just the second half of 2025, Anwar donated over $1.6 million in cash and $122,000 in in-kind gifts, such as private jets, food, and drinks. This included a $100,000 flight to an Ohio football game and political event. These contributions helped Abbott build a campaign fund of $105.7 million by January 2026, giving him a strong advantage for a possible fourth term.
Anwar’s life is a classic immigrant success story with a strong connection to his Muslim background. He was born in Karachi, Pakistan, came to the U.S. after high school, and earned a petroleum engineering degree from the University of Wyoming in 1976. He went on to build Midland Energy Inc. and related companies into major players in the Permian Basin. As a practicing Muslim, he serves on the Honorary Council of the Muslim American Heritage Celebration, which honors “Americans of Muslim heritage.” He is also the main supporter of Houston’s annual Ramadan Iftar dinner, a major event for Muslim leaders. In 2017, he donated $50,000 to the Islamic Society of Greater Houston after Hurricane Harvey and has given hundreds of thousands more through the Alliance for Disaster Relief to support Muslim community projects in Texas and Pakistan.
Abbott first appointed Anwar to the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board in 2015. Anwar remains a member, sometimes listed as Secretary, with his term set to run until 2027. The board sets policy for all public colleges and universities in Texas, making it an influential position for a major donor who openly embraces his faith.
This close financial and personal relationship contrasts sharply with Abbott’s strong 2025–2026 actions against what he sees as Islamist influence. In November 2025, Abbott issued a proclamation labeling CAIR and the Muslim Brotherhood as terrorist and transnational criminal organizations and banning them from buying land in Texas. He told the Department of Public Safety to investigate groups “who unlawfully impose Sharia law,” ordered reviews of school connections to CAIR, and supported laws aimed at “Sharia compounds.” The East Plano Islamic Center’s proposed 400-acre EPIC City project, which would include housing, a mosque, and a school, was often called a possible “Sharia city” by Abbott’s allies. This led to several state and federal investigations that have delayed the project.
Texas Muslim Republicans, including people close to Anwar, have expressed frustration. A Houston Chronicle report from January 2026 noted that while Abbott reappointed Anwar and other Muslims to state boards, his “Sharia-free” language and the new “Sharia Free America Caucus” in Congress are pushing away conservative Muslims who once supported the GOP. Some say they may not vote or might switch parties in the 2026 primaries.
Anwar has mostly stayed quiet about the Sharia debate. He has said several times that his donations are a way to thank Abbott for his pro-business and pro-education policies, and he insists he has “never asked for anything in return.” There are no public records showing Anwar lobbying against Abbott’s anti-CAIR actions or seeking Sharia-related changes through the Higher Education Coordinating Board. His charitable work centers on heritage celebrations, disaster relief, and scholarships for secular education.
However, critics of Islamisation say the trend is obvious. Texas’s Muslim population is now estimated at over 300,000, with many living in Houston and Dallas-Fort Worth. There are more mosques and large projects like EPIC City, all happening as major donors gain access to top Republican leaders. Since Texas has no limits on campaign contributions, Anwar’s donations provide access through private flights, board positions, and influence, even as Abbott publicly opposes the ideology many link to Anwar’s faith community.
With the March 2026 GOP primaries approaching and “stop Sharia” becoming a key issue, Anwar’s involvement brings up tough questions for Texas conservatives. Is the governor ignoring the influence of his biggest Muslim donor, or does the money explain why some Muslim-related projects continue despite strong public statements? As Texas debates whether to resist Sharia or make room for more Islamic political influence, S. Javaid Anwar is at the center, holding both his checkbook and his Muslim heritage honors.
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