Texas Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick has pledged to move forward with Senate hearings focused on “Preventing Sharia Law in Texas,” citing concerns surrounding a proposed Muslim-centric development linked to the East Plano Islamic Center (EPIC). The 400-acre project in Hunt and Collin counties includes plans for a mosque, shopping center and residential areas.
Patrick announced that the Senate State Affairs Committee will examine the issue and said he intends to “get to the bottom of the ‘EPIC City’ and ‘Sharia Law’ issues in Texas.” After receiving a letter from the Council on American-Islamic Relations Texas (CAIR-TX) criticizing the hearings, Patrick questioned the group’s response, asking, “What are they trying to hide?” He added, “I will not back down to this group or any other organization that intends to undermine Texas law.”
Texas Gov. Greg Abbott previously signed a proclamation designating CAIR and the Muslim Brotherhood as foreign terrorist organizations under state law. In its Feb. 9 letter, CAIR-TX called the hearings “unconstitutional” and said they attempt to address “a problem that does not exist.” The organization stated, “There is no parallel judicial system operating in Texas,” and argued that the state is “manufacturing a fictional threat and then legislating against it.”
CAIR described sharia as “an Arabic word meaning ‘the way,’” referring to a religious and ethical framework guiding Muslims in areas such as prayer, fasting and moral conduct. The letter compared sharia to canon law in Catholicism and halacha in Judaism, asserting that none override the U.S. Constitution.
Meanwhile, Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton announced an investigation into a separate proposed 2,300-acre “sustainable city” project in Kaufman County by Dubai-based SEE Holding, which he described as a potential “sharia city.” Paxton said, “There will be no ‘sharia city’ in Texas under my watch. While you’re on American soil, you will obey America’s laws.”
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