The 402-acre property, close to the small town of Josephine and nestled between the far north edges of Collin and Hunt Counties, was purchased by one of the region’s largest mosques, the East Plano Islamic Center, or EPIC. It is set to be managed by Community Capital Partners, an entity formed by the mosque and headed by its former president of the board of directors, Yasir Qadhi. The property blueprints, dubbed “EPIC City,” were introduced in October and include over 1,000 homes, a K-12 religious school, a community college, a mosque and shopping centers.
“EPIC City is more than just a neighborhood; it’s a way of life,” says the announcement video from the East Plano Islamic Center. “It is a meticulously designed community that brings Islam to the forefront, a community that blends with nature, crafted to elevate your living experience.”
Instantly, the development plan garnered scrutiny, with the most extreme critics accusing the community of being cult-like and attacking the legality of creating a Muslim-only community. However, those involved in the project have gone on the record to clarify that religion is a non-factor in community involvement.
“It’s an open community,” Qadhi said to KERA News. “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.”
Since 1968, the Fair Housing Act has prohibited discrimination in housing based on race, gender, nationality, familial status and religion. Perhaps giving some credence to their critics, becoming a part of the community isn't as simple as plunking down the money for it the way anyone can for a standard lot in most new developments.
“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,” reads 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.”
Paxton and Abbott Respond
The original video showcasing the elaborate master plan for the community immediately caught the attention of far-right critics of Islam. Amy Mekelburg has been one of the most outspoken voices, tweeting about the project and its coordinators ad nauseam. Mekelburg heads the RAIR Foundation, which bills itself as "a grassroots activist organization comprised of everyday Americans leading a movement to reclaim our Republic from the network of individuals and organizations waging war on Americans, our Constitution, our borders and our Judeo-Christian values."The online outpouring of dissatisfaction with the plan eventually drew the attention of Gov. Greg Abbott and Attorney Gen. Ken Paxton.
“To be clear, Sharia law is not allowed in Texas,” Abbott wrote on X in a response to a now-deleted tweet from Mekelburg. “Nor are Sharia cities. Nor are 'no go zones' which this project seems to imply. Bottom line. The project as proposed in the video is not allowed in Texas.”Thank you Mr, Homan!
— Amy Mek (@AmyMek) March 20, 2025
I have been compiling an extensive report on EPIC CIty, and I can send your office everything.
In the meantime, here is one of the key masterminds behind Epic City—a radical I have already exposed:
Yasir Qadhi: The Radical Cleric Engineering America’s… pic.twitter.com/p2ofRvCa9Y
Sharia law is a body of religious law derived from the Quran and forms the guiding principles of Islam. Observing Sharia law in religious practice is protected by the First Amendment. However, excluding individuals from purchasing property on the basis of their religious identity is a violation of the Fair Housing Act.
Qadhi has highlighted that the intention isn’t to form a cult but rather a safe space for the Muslim community in Texas. In a February tweet, Qadhi claimed to his 700,000 followers that 500 lots at EPIC City had already been purchased.
“We are not forming a cult,” Qadhi said in a project update video in February. “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.”
The East Plano Islam Center even invited Abbott to tour the project site and learn more about the proposed community, but its hospitality was not enough to keep the governor at bay.
On March 24, the governor wrote on X that a dozen state agencies had launched investigations into the legality of the “EPIC compound” and that the attorney general was pursuing the issue. The next day Paxton announced the issue of 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.”
On March 26, the governor announced that the Texas Funeral Service had issued a cease and desist letter to East Plano Islamic Center for operating a funeral home without a license. The funeral support services page on the mosque’s website was active for a time on Wednesday, but soon after letter was released, the page began displaying only a 404 error message.
Abbott indicated that the funeral service bust was just the first of many, doubling down on his dedication to preventing the development from becoming a reality.
"This 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."
Indeed that was true. On Thursday, Abbott announced another investigation into EPIC, with this one focusing on possible fraud. In a press release the governor hit on some of the talking points he's been hammering on for the past few days.
“The group behind the proposed East Plano Islamic Center compound may be misleading investors,” Abbott said in the release. “Defrauding Texans will not be tolerated. The Texas State Securities Board is conducting a thorough investigation to ensure Texans are protected from financial harm that is alleged to have been caused by EPIC. This is part of an ongoing investigation into allegations of illegal activities by EPIC. All entities in Texas must follow state law, not Sharia law."
