Proposed Muslim improvement in Texas brings inquiries by DOJ and state officers : NPR

[ad_1] <img src="https://npr.brightspotcdn.com/dims3/default/strip/false/crop/7633x5091+0+0/resize/1100/quality/50/format/jpeg/?url=http%3A%2F%2Fnpr-brightspot.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fc4%2F6a%2F32aa3d32493eba3c0330d694d9b8%2Fplano-mosque-muslim.jpg" data-template="https://npr.brightspotcdn.com/dims3/default/strip/false/crop/7633x5091+0+0/resize/{width}/quality/{quality}/format/{format}/?url=http%3A%2F%2Fnpr-brightspot.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fc4%2F6a%2F32aa3d32493eba3c0330d694d9b8%2Fplano-mosque-muslim.jpg" class="img" alt="Plano EPIC mosque is seen behind a row of homes in Plano. Many muslims like to live near their mosque to facilitate practicing their faith daily." fetchpriority="high"/> The Plano EPIC mosque is seen behind a row of houses in Plano. Many muslims wish to dwell close to their mosque to facilitate training their religion every day. Yfat Yossifor/KERA cover caption

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Yfat Yossifor/KERA DALLAS, Texas — The Division of Justice is investigating a proposed Muslim housing improvement in North Texas often known as EPIC Metropolis for potential non secular discrimination.

Prime state officers, together with Republican Governor Greg Abbott have additionally launched investigations, despite the fact that the venture's builders say they're years away from breaking floor.

The East Plano Islamic Middle – often known as EPIC – is a big mosque in Plano, a suburb North of Dallas. The mosque is working out of room as newcomers flock to the rising North Texas area.

A member of EPIC who's a realtor proposed an answer when he noticed some land on the market – why not construct one other group to accommodate the rising Muslim inhabitants in North Texas?

Rising group

A number of of EPIC's members dwell inside strolling distance from the mosque.

Black and white homes with manicured lawns within the adjoining neighborhood are adorned with Arabic lettering. There is a grocery retailer up the highway from the mosque referred to as EPIC Market that sells halal meat and a Yemeni espresso store, Haraz Espresso, which serves pistachio lattes and saffron milk truffles.

Fawzia Bilal lives near the mosque. She says it makes it simpler for her to combine prayer into her every day routine. Muslims pray going through within the route of Mecca, their holy land, 5 occasions a day. And holy durations like Ramadan name for extra prayer.

"I am in a position to do that with out moving into site visitors or interested by leaping right into a automobile, strolling distance," Bilal mentioned. "I imply, it is all about actually comfort after which the consistency with which we're capable of follow our religion."

<img src="https://npr.brightspotcdn.com/dims3/default/strip/false/crop/4098x2732+0+0/resize/1100/quality/50/format/jpeg/?url=http%3A%2F%2Fnpr-brightspot.s3.amazonaws.com%2F4c%2Feb%2F9edf5f864e11999cb30cb2bff14f%2Ffaiza-bilal-epic-muslim.jpg" data-template="https://npr.brightspotcdn.com/dims3/default/strip/false/crop/4098x2732+0+0/resize/{width}/quality/{quality}/format/{format}/?url=http%3A%2F%2Fnpr-brightspot.s3.amazonaws.com%2F4c%2Feb%2F9edf5f864e11999cb30cb2bff14f%2Ffaiza-bilal-epic-muslim.jpg" class="img" alt="Plano resident Faiza Belal stands near a projection of the future development of Epic City." loading="lazy"/> Plano resident Fawzia Belal stands close to a projection of the long run improvement of Epic Metropolis. Yfat Yossifor/KERA cover caption

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Yfat Yossifor/KERA EPIC Islamic scholar Yasir Qadhi advised NPR the mosque is working out of area for its 10,000 members.

"Why not construct a goal constructed group the place the entire services, the entire facilities that individuals need are going to be inside strolling distance?" Qadhi mentioned.

EPIC bought the land for the venture a couple of yr in the past. The 402-acre improvement could be in unincorporated Collin and Hunt counties, roughly 40 miles northeast of Dallas.

EPIC Metropolis would come with a brand new mosque, greater than 1,000 single and multi-family houses, a Ok-12 faith-based faculty, senior housing, an outreach heart, industrial developments, sports activities services, and a group school.

Qadhi mentioned the primary 450 plots for EPIC Metropolis bought out inside days of its bulletins on the mosque's web site.

Future residents are buying shares to personal a plot of land for future houses. In these purchases, there is a cost to assist fund the development of different buildings, just like the mosque and faculty. Qadhi mentioned that is how EPIC paid for the land, not exterior funding.

"The funds got here from the very individuals which can be going to be residing in that space," he mentioned.

The probes

Though EPIC Metropolis has but to file for building permits, Texas Governor Greg Abbott and State Legal professional Basic Ken Paxton have already launched a number of investigations of the venture.

The state's probes embrace claims the venture may very well be discriminating towards non-Muslims in violation of the Texas Honest Housing Act, together with alleging potential monetary hurt to potential traders and potential violations of Texas shopper safety legal guidelines.

Abbott mentioned in a press launch that the Texas Workforce Fee is investigating potential non secular discrimination at EPIC Metropolis, which might violate the Texas Honest Housing Act. Abbott has accused the event, with out offering any proof, of making a "no-go zone" that bans non-Muslims from coming into.

Qadhi mentioned the proposed EPIC Metropolis won't be unique to Muslim residents.

"It is an open group," Qadhi mentioned. "Anyone can are available. We're welcoming individuals of all backgrounds and variety and we're providing them services that we expect could be very, very helpful."

Abbott has additionally launched a prison investigation of the venture, though It is unclear what prison statutes EPIC or the venture builders could have violated.

Paxton has additionally not specified what shopper safety legal guidelines EPIC Metropolis could have violated, however he mentioned in a press launch the venture has "raised quite a few issues."

Neither Abbott nor Paxton responded to NPR's requests for touch upon the investigations.

Sen. John Cornyn (R-Texas) mentioned the Division of Justice launched a federal probe in early Might after he shared issues about non secular discrimination and Sharia regulation, which types elements of Islamic traditions however just isn't legally enforceable in america.

"Spiritual discrimination, whether or not specific or implicit, is unconstitutional below the First and Fourteenth Amendments," Cornyn wrote in his letter to the Legal professional Basic. "Spiritual freedom is a cornerstone of our nation's values, and I'm involved this group doubtlessly undermines this important safety."

Misconceptions about Sharia Regulation and Islamophobia are on the heart of lots of the allegations being about EPIC Metropolis on-line and at a current county authorities assembly.

Mustafaa Carroll, government director of the Dallas-Fort Price workplace for the Council of American Islamic Relations, mentioned Sharia Regulation is commonly misunderstood within the nation.

"Your daughters are gonna put on burqas and your sons can be terrorists and so they're gonna be killing individuals and folks can be blowing of us up and all this type of craziness," Carroll mentioned. "That is undoubtedly not Sharia."

Muslim students emphasize that Sharia regulation is deeply depending on context. Whereas conservative nations could implement strict practices, Muslims in Western nations usually don't.

In line with EPIC, Sharia encompasses elements of Islamic traditions like when to hope, find out how to gown and what to eat.

The governor's workplace criticized the Council of American Islamic Relations in a press release and accused the interfaith group of being linked to terrorism. The group denies these claims.

Abbott not too long ago mentioned in a put up on X that Texas halted building at EPIC Metropolis after he ordered the venture developer final month to stop building or face authorized motion as a result of the mosque hadn't acquired the mandatory permits or authorizations from the Texas Fee on Environmental High quality.

"The Texas Fee on Environmental High quality discovered that the group behind the proposed EPIC compound didn't submit the required permits to start building," he mentioned.

However Dan Cogdell, an lawyer for the mosque, famous that no building had begun on the website. He mentioned Abbott's order and the state's investigations are untimely.

"We've not began building," he mentioned. "We've not even filed for an utility. It is like, good God, have a cup of espresso earlier than you pop off."

On-line misinformation

At a county authorities assembly early in March, Collin County officers heard issues from residents concerning the potential follow of Sharia Regulation in EPIC Metropolis.

"They are going to do essentially the most Sharia compliance, together with honor killings, stonings, marrying their younger ladies off to older males," mentioned Krista Schild, a resident of Hunt County.

"Sharia has no freedom of faith, no freedom of speech, no freedom of thought, no freedom of creative expression, and no equal rights for girls," mentioned Lee Breckenridge-Moore, a resident of Collin County.

Schild and Moore provided no proof to help their statements.

Moore referenced as proof for her claims social media posts from Amy Mek, the founder and editor in chief of RAIR Basis USA. The Southern Poverty Regulation Middle has categorized RAIR as an anti-Muslim hate group.

Considered one of Mek's posts that accused metropolis and faculty district officers in Plano of colluding with EPIC to form faculty coverage acquired about 8,900 likes and seven,800 shares. A couple of days later, Paxton introduced in a press launch he was demanding paperwork from the Plano Impartial College District outlining "potential connections" to EPIC.

Public vitriol

EPIC member Fawzia Bilal mentioned the assaults on her mosque and religion are disheartening.

"If I am going out alone, then there may be this worry," Bilal mentioned. "Am I going to listen to one thing? Am I going to be focused?"

Bilal mentioned most individuals in Plano are accepting as a result of the mosque has a robust presence and is thought for its service and contributions to the group.

She hopes that message will come by means of.

"Regardless of how loud the voices of hatred are, the voice of hope and the voice of understanding and reasoning will finally overpower these unfavourable voices," she mentioned.

Within the meantime, Cogdell mentioned EPIC will cooperate totally with all state and federal investigations. He additionally mentioned he expects the political scrutiny to delay the venture, leaving the Muslim group in North Texas with much less room to develop.