A proposed mixed-use real estate development project 40 miles northeast of Dallas has drawn scrutiny from Texas’ Gov. Greg Abbott and Attorney General Ken Paxton amid accusations to it would become a Muslim-only community operating under Sharia law.
According to combined media reports, the 402-acre property near the town of Josephine was purchased by the East Plano Islamic Center (EPIC), a mosque, for development as a residential and commercial center known as EPIC City. The development would be managed by Community Capital Partners, an entity created by the mosque and headed by its former president of the board of directors, Yasir Qadhi, and it would feature more than 1,000, and Islamic religious school for grades K-12, a community college, retail stores, and a mosque.
However, a video announcement by EPIC initially promoted the development as “a meticulously designed community that brings Islam to the forefront, a community that blends with nature, crafted to elevate your living experience.” The project’s website stated that while it was “open to any person we approve within the property and investment laws of the United States, [we] will limit sales to only persons we believe will contribute to the overall makeup of our community and are legally eligible to invest and buy property in the United States.”
Qadhi went further in a promotional video where he said, “We’re not forming big barriers between the rest of society. We’re going to be giving back to this state and this country, and we’re going to be showing what it means to be a Muslim neighborhood.”
Concerns have been raised that EPIC City was being positioned as a Muslim-only community. Last month, State Rep. Jeff Leach (R-Allen) wrote a letter to Paxton declaring, “Reports indicate that this large-scale real estate development may seek to incorporate elements of Sharia law into its operations. We must ensure that no entity attempts to circumvent state law under the guise of cultural or religious accommodation.”
Abbott has been increasingly skeptical of the development. Last month, he wrote on X: “To be clear, Sharia law is not allowed in Texas. Nor are Sharia cities. Nor are ‘no go zones’ which this project seems to imply.” Earlier this week, he wrote on X that a dozen state agencies began investigations into the legality of the “EPIC compound.” He later posted, “The proposed community will never see the light of day.”
Paxton followed Abbott’s lead by issuing a civil investigative demand to Community Capital Partners “as part of an ongoing investigation into CCP’s real estate development, EPIC City.”
“Under my watch, there will be zero tolerance for any person or entity that breaks Texas law,” said Paxton in a press release. “My office has an open and ongoing investigation into EPIC City, which has raised a number of concerns, and this CID will help ensure that any potential violation of state law is uncovered.”
Qadhi responded to the concerns in an interview stating, “Anybody can come in. We’re welcoming people of all backgrounds and diversity, and we’re offering them facilities that we think would be very, very useful.”
Commissioners in Collin County, where EPIC City would be based, are scheduled to vote on the project’s permit on April 14.
Photo: Artist’s rendering of EPIC City
