Texas Governor vs "Sharia City" Battle Heats Up
Criminal investigation by Texas Rangers ordered
Texas Governor Greg Abbott has expanded his concern about what he calls a "Sharia City" proposed near Josephine, Texas (in Collin & Hunt Counties) north of Dallas, into an all-out battle against its developer.
The East Plano Islamic Center (EPIC) plans a 400+-acre development called "EPIC City," which will center around a mosque, 1,000 homes, and a K-12 private Islamic school.
"To be clear, Sharia law is not allowed in Texas. Nor are Sharia cities. Nor are “no go zones“ which this project seems to imply. Bottom line. The project as proposed ... is not allowed in Texas." -Texas Governor Greg Abbott
Since sounding the alarm about the development, Governor Abbott has now ordered the Texas Rangers to open a criminal investigation "into the East Plano Islamic Center (EPIC) and any affiliated entities for potential criminal activities."
According to the governor, a host of other state agencies have launched separate investigations:
Texas Workforce Commission is investigating EPIC and affiliated entities for "potential discrimination in violation of the Texas Fair Housing Act"
Texas State Securities Board is investigating EPIC and affiliated entities for "potential financial harm to Texans"
Texas Funeral Service Commission sent a cease-and-desist letter ordering EPIC to "immediately stop all illegal funeral service operations"
Attorney General of Texas is investigating EPIC and affiliated entities for "potential violations of Texas consumer protection laws"
When Attorney General Ken Paxton announced his investigation, Imran Chaudhary, executive officer and director of Community Capital Partners (which is developing EPIC City), told The Dallas Morning News they would cooperate with his investigation:
"We understand that there has been a lot of rumor-milling and misinformation circulated by many who are uninformed. We look forward to working with the Attorney General to ensure that we are in legal compliance every step of the way and educating the broader community about our project,“ Imran Chaudhary (Community Capital Partners)
But that has not alleviated the Attorney General's concerns:
“My office has an open and ongoing investigation into EPIC City, which has raised a number of concerns, and (we will) ensure that any potential violation of state law is uncovered,” - Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton
What are your thoughts about the development of "EPIC City" in Texas?
Share your opinion in the comments on this article!
Abrazos,
Jack Beavers
Dallas-Fort Worth cannot become Minneapolis-St. Paul (how long before that name changes, we wonder). The time to head it off is now.
Please shut it down