Lawsuits and investigations have followed a development that is self-described as the ‘epicenter of Islam in America.’
JOSEPHINE, Texas—This rural town with farmland stretching to the horizon might as well be a million miles away from New York City with its skyscrapers and big-city worries.
But the residents of the Big Apple and Josephine have something in common—controversy over the construction of a mosque.
Perhaps not since the “Ground Zero Mosque” was proposed two blocks from the World Trade Center site of the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks has a mosque drawn so much attention.
The proposed 2009 Manhattan mosque and Islamic cultural center was known as Park 51. It faced sharp public criticism for plans to place a symbol of Islam so close to where thousands died from an attack by radical jihadists. Groups such as Stop Islamization of America led protests against “radical Islam” before the project was eventually abandoned.
More than a decade later, as Muslim migration to Texas has increased, a similar uproar has risen over a proposed Muslim-focused neighborhood anchored by a mosque in rural Texas, some 40 miles from Dallas.
Promotional materials first described EPIC City, named after the East Plano Islamic Center, as the “epicenter of Islam in America.”
Following backlash at the local, state, and federal levels, it changed its name to The Meadow.
The development would encompass 402 acres of farmland outside Josephine, a town of 8,800 residents founded in 1888 by a railroad company back when cotton was king in Texas.
It would include 1,000 homes, a mosque, a K-12 faith-based school, sports facilities, a community college, senior housing, an outreach center, and businesses.
Since the idea was proposed, numerous public officials and community members have worked to halt the development, citing concerns about whether the new community would integrate with the local population and asking questions over sharia—Islamic law—and potential ties to foreign Islamic groups.
The development has prompted legal battles, state and federal investigations, and new state laws addressing neighborhood composition and foreign ownership. The ongoing battle included Texas Gov. Greg Abbott classifying some Islamic groups as foreign terrorist organizations; and the White House is considering similar action.
Grassroots Backlash
The Muslim-led community would be located in an area largely populated by white and Hispanic residents whose religion is predominantly Christian.
Locally, residents have voiced concerns about Islamic radicalization and sharia law in communities they believe may not integrate into U.S. culture, despite the developer’s denials.
Sharia law is an Islamic code of conduct and law derived from the Quran, often at odds with laws and rights in Western countries.
One woman who spoke at a Collin County Commissioners Court meeting in November raised concerns that sharia would replace U.S. law within the development.
“This remains an Islamic-focused community, and Islam is fundamentally incompatible with our Constitution,” she said.
At the Josephine City Council meeting, a resident of Armenian descent said people should be aware that, in his view, Islam is only peaceful when it is not in control.
“Islam is not truly a religion of peace,“ he added. ”Once they get to a certain point in a culture, they start to ravage it from within.”
Most Muslims are good people, he said, but when their religious ideology demands it, they feel compelled to obey. “They don’t speak up against it.”
He referenced historical events, saying the West should consider the Armenian genocide over a century ago under the Ottoman Empire, which imposed sharia.
“We were walked into the Syrian desert until we died of hunger, of starvation. They hung Christian females to posts and lit them on fire as candles,” he said.
As public concerns intensified, state officials stepped up their efforts to address them.
Earlier this month, Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton announced a lawsuit against the East Plano Islamic Center (EPIC), which contracted for the land, and developer Community Capital Partners, and others, alleging violations of Texas securities laws.
The lawsuit claims the housing development would be illegally reserved for Muslim residents. It also asserts that the project’s leaders “lined their own pockets” with funds during development.
Abbott took to social media on Dec. 3, stating the development’s name change does not alter its intent and that at least four state agencies continue to investigate “this misguided mission.”
“‘The Meadow’ will remain just that—an empty meadow,” Abbott said. “EPIC can change its name, but can’t change the legality of the flawed structure they seek to impose. They delete social media posts & rewrite contracts. But it’s just a disguise to impose sharia on a community they create.”
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