Texas Republican Candidate Sparks Outrage After Burning the Quran in Campaign Video

Valentina Gomez, a Republican congressional candidate from Texas, has ignited a firestorm of criticism after releasing a campaign video in which she burns a copy of the Quran with a flamethrower. The footage, posted on X, carried the caption, “I will end Islam in Texas so help me God.”

In the video, Gomez, wearing camouflage pants and a T-shirt emblazoned with a rifle silhouette, declares: “America is a Christian nation, so those terrorist Muslims can f* off to any of the 57 Muslim nations. There is only one true God, and that is the God of Israel.” 

A song by Kanye West plays in the background as she sets the holy book ablaze, ending with the statement that she is “powered by Jesus Christ.” Her campaign logo even features a bullet replacing the letter “i” in her name.

The video, which X later removed for violating its hateful conduct policy, sparked outrage among Muslim advocacy groups, political leaders, and social media users. Critics denounced the act as “incitement” and “cheap publicity.”

Podcaster Brian Allen wrote on X: “This isn’t politics. It’s incitement. When the mosques start burning, remember: this was the match and the Texas GOP handed her the lighter.” Another user added that Gomez “pathetically disrespects Islam over and over again as a cheap publicity stunt for clout.”

The Anti-Defamation League issued a strong statement, saying: “This campaign is fueled by hate and anti-Muslim bigotry. Burning a sacred religious text like the Quran can incite violence and put people in danger. This needs to be condemned by all good people of conscience.”

Another Muslim organization in America also condemned the act, calling it “a threat to societal harmony” and urging that Gomez “be held accountable for her hate-filled and inciting actions.”

Gomez’s rhetoric didn’t stop at attacking Islam. In the same video, she warned: “Your daughters will be raped, and your sons beheaded, unless we stop Islam once and for all.”

This is not an isolated incident. The Colombian-born candidate, who describes herself as a MAGA influencer, has a long record of incendiary stunts. 

Her previous actions include staging a mock execution of immigrant dummies, calling for the public execution of undocumented immigrants accused of violent crimes, burning LGBTQ+ books, and storming the stage at Texas Muslim Capitol Day, a civic engagement event. She has also made inflammatory remarks targeting Black people and immigrants.

Despite Muslims making up only about one percent of Texas’s population, Gomez has made eradicating Islam from the state a cornerstone of her campaign for Texas’s 31st Congressional District in the 2026 elections.

International reaction has been swift. Colombian President Gustavo Petro criticized her on social media, writing: “She is not just an American fascist. She is Colombian. And being a migrant, what she wants is to unleash hatred against migrants. Most Americans are killed by Americans.”

This incident is part of a disturbing global trend of Quran desecrations. Earlier in 2025, in Villeurbanne, near Lyon, France, a man entered a mosque, stole a Quran, burned it, and was later sentenced to one year in prison. French authorities labeled it an Islamophobic attack. Such acts highlight the growing threat of hate crimes against Muslims worldwide.

For Muslims, the Quran is not just a book; it is the divine word of Allah. Desecration of the Quran is deeply hurtful and intended to provoke anger. However, Islam teaches patience and dignity in the face of such hostility.