❓WHAT HAPPENED: A planned “1,000-home Muslim city” in Texas is sparking concerns about Sharia law amid an attempted rebrand by its planners.

👤WHO WAS INVOLVED: The East Plano Islamic Community (EPIC), its cleric Yasir Qadhi, Texas Governor Greg Abbott (R), and counter-extremism analyst Sam Westrop.

📍WHEN & WHERE: The proposed site is located northeast of Dallas, Texas, with construction planned for 2026 or 2027.

💬KEY QUOTE: “Qadhi and his mosque, EPIC, have radicalised generations of Muslims not just in the Dallas area, but across the U.S.” – Sam Westrop

🎯IMPACT: The development, located approximately 40 miles northeast of Dallas, would include 1,000 residential properties, a mosque, Islamic schools, medical clinics, retail outlets, parks, and an elderly care home. While no permits have been filed and construction has not yet begun, organizers have reported strong initial interest in the properties.

A Texas Islamic organization is rebranding a planned “1,000-home Muslim city” after facing significant local opposition and criticism from state lawmakers. The East Plano Islamic Community (EPIC) initially named the project “EPIC City,” but has rebranded it as “The Meadow,” though the housing development remains under state scrutiny.

“One of the issues at stake is the freedom of religion,” Governor Greg Abbott (R) said when he signed legislation banning discriminatory residential developments that require homeowners to adhere to Sharia law. He continued: “Another issue at stake is what is called the right to contract. The fact is that religious freedom is a central part of the Texas Constitution. But bad actors like EPIC and EPIC City tried to use religion as a form of segregation. We will ensure that we have the laws and law enforcement in place to prevent attempts to build such discriminatory compounds in the state of Texas.”

After the bill signing, the organizers behind EPIC City moved to rename the project, though its ties to Islamic extremists remain a concern for state officials and nearby residents. Concerns have only increased after recordings from 2001 surfaced of Yasir Qadhi, a cleric linked to the project, expressing extremist views in the early 2000s. In one recording, Qadhi stated, “This is a part of our religion, to stone the adulterer and to kill, by the way, the homosexual. This is also our religion.” He added that such punishments should not be carried out in America but indicated that they would be implemented under an Islamic state. Other recordings revealed Qadhi dismissing the Holocaust as “false propaganda.” Yasir Qadhi has since acknowledged his past statements, calling them a “one-time mistake” made when he was “young and naïve.”

The development, located approximately 40 miles northeast of Dallas, would include 1,000 residential properties, a mosque, Islamic schools, medical clinics, retail outlets, parks, and an elderly care home. While no permits have been filed and construction has not yet begun, organizers have reported strong initial interest in the properties.

Counter-extremism analyst Sam Westrop with the Middle East Forum warns that the project could serve to “radicalise future generations of Muslims” and argues EPIC is seeking to “advance Sharia and other theocratic threats away from the checks and balances of Texas law and order.” EPIC, however, has described itself as a “multi-ethnic, multi-racial, multilingual, non-sectarian, diverse, and open community” that welcomes non-Muslims.

The National Pulse reported in October that Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton (R) revealed that entities linked to the EPIC land development project breached federal and state securities laws. The Attorney General requested that the Texas State Securities Board (TSSB) review the findings and refer the case back to his office for further legal action.

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