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Controversy during opening prayer as resident interrupts Harris County Commissioners Court
Summary
A public commenter interrupted the invited Islamic prayer at the April 16 Harris County Commissioners Court, urging Christian-only prayers; court officials reminded attendees of decorum and continued the session after the speaker’s one-minute public comment.
The Harris County Commissioners Court opened its April 16 meeting with an invited prayer from Sheikh Walid Bassione. During the invocation, a member of the public identified herself as Mary Speck and interjected, saying she opposed allowing Islam in the nation and offered a Christian prayer. County Judge Hidalgo and other court members asked for decorum, offered the commenter the opportunity to speak at the dais and limited public remarks to one minute.
Judge Hidalgo told the room that the court invites leaders from different faiths and requested that speakers respect the prayer before proceeding with the meeting’s agenda. Court staff handled the exchange at the dais; no formal action followed. Several commissioners later reiterated the court’s commitment to respect and inclusion as they continued the meeting.
The interruption drew later public comments and brief discussion of decorum, but the court moved on to the day’s agenda items, including public-comment speakers who addressed flood-bond spending, early-childhood funding and other business.
