‘Muslim city’ project sparks uproar amongst locals | US | News

An Islamic organization aiming to build what critics have labeled a “Muslim city” in east Texas has changed its name after Gov. Greg Abbott accused them of planning to implement sharia law, the Daily Mail reports.

Developers have now switched from its original name, EPIC City, to The Meadow, the Houston Chronicle reports. The East Plano Islamic Congregation (EPIC), which is behind the ambitious plan, is still in the early stages and has not applied for a permit, broken ground or moved beyond the planning outline. Although much larger in scale, the plans echo a controversial mosque proposal in the UK’s Lake District.

Yasir Qadhi, the cleric linked to the project, has long caused concerns due to his widely reported, decades-long history of preaching hatred, homophobia and Holocaust denial.

Historical conversations raise questions

Records show that Qadi promoted extremist ideas, including claims that Jewish people were infiltrating Islamic studies departments at American universities in an attempt to “exterminate” Muslims.

Such statements led Abbott and several Republican lawmakers to question whether the development could be used to bring sharia enforcement to the state.

Sharia refers to religious law with roots in Islamic scriptures, including the Quran and Hadith, and in some countries is associated with capital punishment, sometimes by stoning, for crimes such as adultery and homosexuality.

EPIC has insisted on social media that it is a law-abiding non-profit organization, and investigations so far have revealed no wrongdoing.

In a separate audio recording from the 2000s, Qadi is seen calling for the execution of homosexuals and adulterers and describing the Holocaust as a “hoax.”

In another clip, he theorizes that Jews are joining religious academic departments in the US to undermine Muslims, the Mail reported.

Debate over changing Texas demographics

The debate has intensified debate about Texas’ rapidly growing Muslim population, rising fears of Islamophobia and whether the views of individual clergy bring their communities into conflict with American values.

Counter-extremist analyst Sam Westrop, who uncovered the recordings at the Middle East Forum, described Qadi’s followers as a hardline movement seeking to return society to an ancient age.

“Kadhi and his mosque, EPIC, radicalized generations of Muslims, not just in the Dallas area but across the US,” Westrop told the Daily Mail.

“Any campus like EPIC City will serve to radicalize future generations of Muslims.”

Westrop argues that the group aims to “remove Sharia and other theocratic threats from the checks and balances of Texas law and order.”

Plans for a big new neighborhood

The proposed project is expected to be located approximately 40 miles northeast of Dallas and include 1,000 homes, a mosque, Islamic schools, clinics, stores, parks and a nursing home on land spanning Collin and Hunt counties.

Organizers say the first wave of properties sold quickly and larger “farms” have since been advertised nearby. Construction is expected to start in 2026 or 2027.

EPIC describes itself as a “multi-ethnic, multi-racial, multi-lingual, non-sectarian, diverse and open community” that provides opportunities for both men and women and is open to non-Muslims.

But critics say Qadhi’s private statements in past years contrast sharply with the inclusive image the group promotes today.

Records reveal harsh rhetoric

In a recording believed to date back to the early 2000s, the Qadi discusses behavior that he says warrants execution according to Islam.

“Stoneing the adulterer… and killing the homosexual are also part of our religion. This is also our religion,” he says.

His words echo brutal practices used by the Islamic State, which enforces strict sharia law in Iraq and Syria and executes gay men by throwing them off buildings.

Qadhi also makes it clear that he does not encourage his followers to follow these rules in the United States.

“That doesn’t mean we’re going to do this in America,” he said. “No, we’re not allowed to do that in America, you know? But I say, if we had an Islamic State, we’d do it now.”

Comments on Jewish people and Holocaust denial

In another account he describes the Jewish people as largely of European descent and disconnected from their Biblical ancestors.

“Look at them: white, crooked nose, blond hair. These are not the grandchildren of Jacob,” he says.

He goes on to call the Nazi genocide “false propaganda” and insists that “Hitler never intended to mass exterminate the Jews” and urges listeners to read “The Holocaust Hoax.”

He also claims that Jews make up the vast majority of students in Islamic Studies programs in the United States as part of a plan to spread “division” among Muslims and “destroy us.”

Qadhi now says comments are youth extremism

Qadhi has since described his past comments as a “mistake” and a “one-off mistake”, saying he slipped into extremism when he was “young and naive”.

The Express emailed Qadhi’s office seeking comment.

Today, he presents to the public a more moderate and polished interpretation of Islam, reflecting the beliefs of a global faith followed by nearly two billion people.