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Owais Khan just wants to go pray.
But an undeniably amplified voice booming across the way calls him a sinner and warns him of his impending eternal damnation, unless he disavows Islam and accepts Jesus Christ as his sole savior and the Son of God, as he walks to the front door of the East Plano Islamic Center (EPIC). Khan, and about a thousand other visitors, rushed to make it in time for Jummah, the Friday prayer service that is mandatory for Muslim men. But the screaming voices of Christians camped out on the public pasture right outside EPIC’s property line are a loud reminder of the hateful misconceptions of his faith and his mosque that have been propelled by government leaders.
“This is where we are right now in this country,” Khan said. “There’s just so much hatred. Everyone is trying to divide everyone else into these little groups. Why? Why are we doing this to ourselves?”
Khan, along with more than a thousand other worshippers at one of the largest mosques in North Texas, can still hear the backyard televangelists from EPIC’s foyer, even though they’re at least 300 feet away. The mosque’s imam has told the worshippers not to engage with the screaming protesters lest they find themselves at the center of internet virality, a risk he says they should not be willing to take.
The evangelist group, which comes prepared for its two-hour sermons on the lawn with a tent, amplifier and Bibles to distribute, calls itself Testimonies of God and aims to “provide biblically sound and thoroughly curated content for all things Christian-based.” They do so in the usual way: by screaming at passersby in communal spaces and then posting their sermons and rage-bait interactions on TikTok for their 4,800 followers.
“Repent and turn to Jesus Christ,” an unidentified voice yells through a megaphone at one of the Muslim worshippers filmed in a close-up video posted to their account. The worshipper approached the group, calling them “disrespectful.” Third-party security carefully ushered him away. More people joined in to hold back the man as the evangelists continued to yell at him. That specific video is the group’s most viewed post, with 35,000 views.
“Allah is a liar. He doesn’t exist. Repent and turn to Jesus today. Cry out to God, sir. Turn to Jesus… I hope God has convicted you right now, to show you that Muhammad was a false prophet… Jesus died for sinners; he can save a Muslim and make them a Christian today.”
This is exactly what the Mosque is trying to avoid, and it seems, to them, it’s exactly what the protesters are trying to incite.
“They want us to do something,” said Khan. “They’re trying to make us do something. Maybe we’re going to get mad at them and start fighting them, and then they’ll post something like, ‘Oh, these are how bad Muslims are.’ Luckily, so far, nothing has happened. But I’m afraid that someone will do something, some kid will get mad at them and fight them or something, and then the entire community will be painted a picture.”
How EPIC Became Public Enemy No. 1
The Testimonies of God, a non-profit based in Rockwall and led by founder Landon Thurman, preaches in pop-up-style events across North Texas. You can even find them mic’d up in the AT&T Discovery District. However, EPIC’s resident scholar, Yasir Qadhi, the person in charge of all religious teaching at the mosque, says his place of worship wasn’t on the map until the social media vitriol of the state’s governor, Greg Abbott, put it there.
Earlier this year, EPIC purchased a 402-acre plot of land on the fringes of Collin County. There, they planned to build a Muslim-oriented community development complete with housing, a school, a Mosque, and other amenities. However, the development was hit with “cult-like allegations” after some confusion surrounding residency requirements.
“Realizing that many responsible citizens of other countries might be interested in our properties, our offering is open to any person we approve within the property and investment laws of the United States,” read the project’s website. “[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.”
If being Muslim were a requirement to purchase a home in the community, it would violate the Fair Housing Act of 1968, which prohibits discrimination in housing on the basis of race, gender, nationality, familial status, and religion.
The development proposal landed on the wrong side of the internet and a swarm of far-right and self-proclaimed Islamophobes flooded social media with disgust for what they called a “Sharia city.” EPIC, which has been around since 2003, is no stranger to prejudice, but things blew out of proportion when the governor himself joined the smear campaign, and then expended his every resource to target the mosque.
“One wonders whether the type of rhetoric that we’re hearing from our elected officials and the attention that is being given to EPIC, is that a direct cause for what is happening?,” said Qadgi. “If so, then our elected officials need to be conscious of the type of fear-mongering that is taking place. The type of, frankly, incitement. Our mosque has been mentioned multiple times, and without a doubt, there has been a concerted, intentional effort to foster an environment of fear and hostility against us.”
In Feb. 2025, Abbott tweeted, “To be clear, Sharia law is not allowed in Texas. Nor are Sharia cities.”
That was only the beginning.
Abbott soon announced that a dozen state departments were investigating EPIC. The next day, Attorney General Ken Paxton joined the legal action, and Sen. John Cornyn announced that the federal Department of Justice was looking into EPIC’s dealings.
“This is the tip of the iceberg,” the governor wrote on X. “We are uncovering legal violations by EPIC City that go far beyond what people realize. The proposed community will never see the light of day. More to come.”
The mosque received a cease-and-desist letter from the Texas Funeral Services Commission, ordering it to halt any funeral proceedings. Other investigations are still ongoing, and the governor will occasionally mention EPIC in a tweet from time to time. But for the most part, the social media hate deluge has subsided, leaving only the most passionate of Islamophobes and protesters outside.
Conversation, Not Conversion
The evangelist protestors have been demonstrating during Jummah for months now. They missed this week, so they packed up their bullhorn and got their passports stamped in Uganda for mission work. However, Thurman explained that they were ready and eager to return to EPIC on the first Friday following their return.
Thurman says the social media frenzy has nothing to do with Abbott’s tirade, but EPIC leaders note the timelines are fairly coincidental.
“Our presence at EPIC mosque was not political, nor a reaction to any governor’s statement,” Thurman said in an email filled with mentions of more than 20 Bible verses. “We preach the Gospel at many locations such as stadiums, festivals, streets, temples, and mosques alike. Our mission is consistent worldwide: to call all people everywhere to repentance and faith in Christ (Acts 17:30). We do not protest people; we proclaim the Savior who died and rose again.”
The resident scholar says he isn’t too bothered by the Testimonies of God. He recognized their fundamental right to speak on public property is just as fundamental as his own right to be a Muslim man. But he wishes they did it just a little bit quieter.
“Have they had any success anywhere in the world with that type of tactic?” said Qadhi. “I can’t imagine that works, but if that’s what they want to do, it’s their constitutional right, and we’re not asking for that to be taken, but I just would like to know why this sentiment exists in the first place.”
Qadhi and Khan say that the protesters have been invited into the mosque several times. Both men are eager to welcome the group into their place of worship, not for conversion, but for conversation.
“It’s a lot of hatred coming for no reason and a lot of misunderstanding,” said Qadhi. “I would love to dialogue with them. I would love to engage with them and even have a debate. But to believe that it’s an effective mechanism of your time to stand outside a place of worship during their peak time and stand in front of the cars, I don’t understand.”
Khan says the protestors have so far refused to step inside the mosque. Thurman says they’ve never received a formal invite from EPIC’s official leaders. Qadhi says he’ll be waiting for the group’s return, and asked the Observer to relay the invitation to Testimonies of God. Thurman said he’s not interested in going in anytime soon. And the police say there’s not much they can do about the guys yelling on the lawn.
On their first arrival, Testimonies of God was issued a citation for criminal trespassing by the Plano Police Department. Now they’re extra careful about where they stand, and keep their decibel right under the city ordinance level, they say.
“We do not enter mosques or participate in interfaith events because our mission is evangelistic, not ecumenical,” said Thurman. “… We use microphones so that all who pass by can hear clearly, yet we make every effort to be reasonable, respectful, and compliant with local laws… The message of the cross was never meant to remain inside walls; it belongs in the hearing of the world.”
But by now, EPIC has lawyers on speed dial, and their representation has filed a lawsuit against Thurman, Testimonies of God, Heritage Grace Community Church and the revolving door of unidentified John Does who join the protests. The lawsuit alleges that Testimonies of God and affiliated parties are violating the Plano’s noise ordinances. EPIC leaders understand their hands are tied when it comes to the protestors going away, but maybe they can try to keep it down.
“Not only does this activity constitute a nuisance, but it also violates the City of Plano’s noise ordinance in a manner plainly designed to disrupt Plaintiff’s exercise of their faith pursuant to ongoing religious services,” reads the lawsuit filed in a Collin County District Court. “To date, Defendants have refused to voluntarily cease their offending, nuisance-producing behavior, thus necessitating this suit for declaratory and injunctive relief.”
Is This What Jesus Would Do?
The invitation for cookies and conversation stands.
EPIC leaders and attendees would be happy to dispel some of the bigoted rumors about their faith, starting with the notion of a “Sharia city.”
“The only one who talks about Sharia law is Abbott,” said Khan, who identifies as a conservative Muslim, but acknowledged EPIC is made up of an incredibly diverse body. “We, in our mosque, don’t even bring that up. What are you talking about? It [Sharia law] doesn’t make any sense to me. I’m learning this from non-Muslims.”
Khan and Qadhi emphasize that there are limited differences between Muslims and Christians, and perhaps the biggest difference the protestors are focused on is the color of their skin.
“I think the framework of what they’re saying is ‘If you’re not white and you’re not evangelical in Texas, why are you here?’” said Khan.
Qadhi is similarly worried about what one negative reaction posted online would mean for his entire community.
“It’s sad, and if God forbid something happens, I don’t believe that every person [of the same] skin color, or face of or faith of that person should be held accountable,” said Qadhi.
Both men agree that, at the end of the day, the Testimonies of God, though an inconvenient nuisance, are ultimately doing harm to their own community.
“They’re wasting their time and they’re bringing about a nuisance, and if I am brutally honest, I think they’re actually giving a very bad impression of their faith to people that don’t know Christianity that well,” said Qadhi. “If they really wanted to proselytize, which is part of this country’s fabric, we know no problem. Proselytize with love, proselytize the way, I would expect Jesus would’ve done, which is with true kindness and compassion and not by causing confusion and saying dirty or nasty things.”
We asked Testimonies of God if this is what Jesus would do. They said yes. They also said they “love [their] Muslim neighbors,” and from their perspective, they say they “maintain respectful dialogue whenever possible and treat everyone with dignity, even when met with hostility. Our desire is to see Muslims and all people reconciled to the God in whom they have offended with their life of sin.”
Qadhi, though saddened to be surrounded by hate, says that the protestors are just the sheep following the shepherding of the head of the state, and that the real fault falls on the man who put such a large target on their backs.
“People of dignity and respect should actively engage in quelling such senseless hostilities in order to prevent potential violence,” he said. “That’s what I firmly believe, and I am flabbergasted that people don’t understand, but words from powerful people will translate into actions from powerless people.”
