Texas Governor Greg Abbott is standing firm against what many see as the latest attempt to carve out a radical enclave in the heart of Texas. The proposed “EPIC City” – a sprawling, Islamic-themed settlement backed by the East Plano Islamic Center (EPIC) – has triggered alarm bells across the Lone Star State. And now, Abbott is demanding answers – and action.
Abbott made it crystal clear this week: EPIC City developers have seven days to confirm they’re halting all construction. If they fail to do so, Texas will bring the full force of the law down on their heads.
“This group did not submit the required permits,” Abbott said. “Texas will enforce its laws and protect our communities from unlawful actions or threats posed by EPIC or its affiliates.”
At the heart of this controversy is a 1,000-home “faith-based” compound planned for the outskirts of Josephine, Texas—complete with a mosque, private school, college, and recreation facilities. That might sound harmless on the surface, but Texans know better. Many are concerned this is just the first step toward an isolated, religiously governed enclave—raising real questions about the potential for Sharia law to creep into a state that outlawed it back in 2017.
Let’s be clear: America—and Texas, especially—is built on religious freedom. But that freedom doesn’t include setting up parallel societies that reject the values of Western civilization. Governor Abbott’s warning isn’t about prejudice—it’s about protecting Texas from the kind of no-go zones that have plagued parts of Europe.
EPIC and its development affiliate, Community Capital Partners, insist this is a peaceful project where people of “every background” can live in harmony. But while their website is busy collecting donations and promising refunds if they can’t close the land deal, they’ve already stirred up concerns from residents and elected officials alike. The entire plan is riddled with red flags—vague timelines, missing permits, and a promise to follow the law that’s more lip service than legal assurance.
The fact that no actual construction has taken place is no excuse. The governor’s concern isn’t just about buildings—it’s about intent. The intent to push a divisive, ideologically driven project that flouts state law and opens the door to foreign systems of governance, like Sharia law.
Governor Abbott isn’t the only one on high alert. A dozen Texas agencies, including the Texas Rangers, Attorney General Ken Paxton’s office, the State Securities Board, and even the Funeral Service Commission, are digging deep into EPIC’s activities. That kind of scrutiny doesn’t come from nowhere. It suggests something more serious than just a zoning issue.
Even EPIC’s own leaders can’t quiet the unease. Resident scholar Yasir Qadhi tried to reassure Texans by saying, “We are not forming a cult.” But when you have to clarify that you’re not forming a cult, maybe it’s time to ask why people are even thinking that in the first place.
Meanwhile, President Trump’s previous warnings about dangerous ideologies taking root in America seem more relevant than ever. His administration rightly cracked down on unchecked immigration from countries with ties to extremism—and he was vilified for it. But here we are, watching an effort unfold to establish a religious settlement in Texas with a stated mission to “rebuild Islamic civilization.” That’s not cultural integration—that’s cultural replacement.
Governor Abbott summed it up best: “Texas is a law-and-order state. Anyone affiliated with EPIC who is breaking the law will be brought to justice.”
Texans have always believed in faith, family, and freedom—but that freedom must never be used as a shield for foreign ideologies that reject the very Constitution that protects them. Abbott’s crackdown on EPIC City is a line in the sand—and it’s about time someone drew one.
