Texas probes ‘Muslim’ EPIC City plan, lawyer alleges racial profiling

The developers behind EPIC City, a proposed Muslim-centric community in Collin County, Texas, have hired high-profile attorney Dan Cogdell to defend them against multiple state investigations ordered by Governor Greg Abbott.

EPIC City, spearheaded by the East Plano Islamic Center (EPIC) and Community Capital Partners, aims to build a 400-acre development featuring 1,000 homes, a mosque, a school, and other community facilities near Josephine. Developers insist the community will be open to all.

402 acres purchased to build an Islamic city that will govern itself in the heart of Texas pic.twitter.com/eOixmVDHfJ

— End Wokeness (@EndWokeness) April 1, 2025

Governor Abbott has accused the group of operating an unlicensed funeral home, misleading investors, and attempting to implement Sharia law—claims Cogdell flatly rejects.

“That’s a lie,” said Cogdell. “No one associated with EPIC follows or supports Sharia law.”

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Cogdell, who previously represented Attorney General Ken Paxton, condemned the state’s actions as discriminatory.

“To have people of a different faith basically terrorized because of false information put out by the governor is an insult,” he said. “This is fear mongering and political theatre… If this were a Presbyterian church in Red Oak, we wouldn’t be having this conversation.”

TEXAS, April 3, 2025 – East Plano Islamic Center Governing Board have released the following statement today: https://t.co/V7sqmzY9DY

— Dr. Yasir Qadhi (@YasirQadhi) April 3, 2025

Despite no construction having begun—developers haven’t even filed permit applications—Abbott has called for investigations by over a dozen state agencies, including the Texas Rangers. At a packed county meeting, most speakers opposed the project, citing religious and cultural concerns.

Cogdell dismissed the probes as baseless: “It’s a cow field. There are no dead bodies there, no meth lab—just grass.”

Community spokesperson Erin Ragsdale said, “I don’t think we’d be here if this were a Christian community.”

Cogdell confirmed his clients are cooperating fully: “Call me. Set up a visit. But stop the lies.”

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