Inquiry heightens over potential Muslim development in Texas, as both DOJ and state authorities express concerns
Dallas, Texas - The Department of Justice is currently investigating a proposed Muslim housing development in North Texas, known as EPIC City, amid allegations of potential religious discrimination. Texas Governor Greg Abbott and Attorney General Ken Paxton have also initiated investigations, despite the project's developers emphasizing that construction is years away.
The East Plano Islamic Center (EPIC), a large mosque in Plano, is experiencing a space crunch as a growing number of Muslim residents flock to the region. A member of EPIC who is also a realtor proposed building another community, EPIC City, to cater to the growing Muslim population.
EPIC City would span over 400 acres and would feature a new mosque, more than 1,000 homes, a K-12 faith-based school, senior housing, an outreach center, commercial developments, sports facilities, and a community college. EPIC purchased the land for the project approximately a year ago.
Due to the overwhelming demand for plots, the first 450 plots for EPIC City sold out within days of the project's announcement on the mosque's website. Future residents are purchasing shares to own a plot of land for future homes, with a portion of these purchases aiding in the construction of other buildings, such as the mosque and school.
Several EPIC members live near the mosque, with Arabic lettering adorning nearby homes and an EPIC Market selling halal meat and Yemeni coffee nearby. EPIC's 10,000 members, according to Islamic scholar Yasir Qadhi, require additional space.
Investigations into the project include claims it could be discriminating against non-Muslims, violating the Texas Fair Housing Act, potential financial harm to potential investors, and potential violations of Texas consumer protection laws. However, EPIC scholar Yasir Qadhi has asserted that EPIC City will not be exclusive to Muslim residents.
It has been alleged that the project could be creating a "no-go zone" that bans non-Muslims, with Governor Abbott making such accusations without any substantiating evidence. Neither Abbott nor Paxton responded to NPR's requests for comment on the investigations.
The Council of American-Islamic Relations has criticized the investigations as unfounded and an abuse of power, suggesting they infringe on religious expression rights. Concerns about Sharia law and Islamophobia have fueled many of the allegations against EPIC City, with some residents expressing fears of honor killings, stonings, and marriages between young girls and older men.
However, the developers have stated that the community does not impose any religious laws, with the objective of catering to people of all backgrounds. EPIC plans to cooperate fully with all investigations and expects the political scrutiny to cause delays in the project.
Copyright 2025 KERA
- The ongoing investigations by the Department of Justice and the Texas government into EPIC City involve allegations of potential religious discrimination, violations of the Texas Fair Housing Act, and potential financial harm to investors, among other concerns.
- Amid the concerns about EPIC City, the Council of American-Islamic Relations has criticized the investigations as an abuse of power and an infringement on religious expression rights.
- EPIC scholarship Yasir Qadhi has asserted that EPIC City will not be exclusive to Muslim residents, aiming to cater to people of all backgrounds.
- Despite allegations that EPIC City could create a "no-go zone" and infringe on non-Muslim rights, the developers have emphasized that the community does not impose any religious laws and plans to cooperate fully with all investigations.
