New Islamic developments in cities like Plano, Texas, have residents concerned about a rising spread of Sharia-based teachings and community structures. And their concern isn’t misplaced, as videos from inside the movement reveal candid admissions about enforcing religious law, including punishments for theft and adultery.
“Those shopkeepers who sell the rings and stuff on the kiosks, when it’s time for Salah, what do they do? Even to this day, they put a cloth over it and they go pray. Nobody’s going to steal anything. Why? Because you will lose your hand over it,” Yusha Evans of Plano, Texas, said on video.
“And if you’re in Medina, they don’t have to take you very far, because the Sharia court is right next to Masi. They don’t have to take you very far; you will lose your hand. So the deterrent is there,” he continued, noting that those who have been caught and given this punishment statistically do not repeat-offend.
“It’s almost nonexistent,” he added. “They’re sending out polls about whether you would like to live under Sharia for a reason. I would rather you keep your mouth shut than say some of things that I’ve heard been said. Because any Muslim who says they would not like to live under Sharia, they have just made a statement that exited them out of their entire religion.”
“That’s a pretty hardcore stance,” Pat Gray of “Pat Gray Unleashed” comments. “That if you don’t agree with Sharia law, you don’t want to live under Sharia law, but you do want to practice Islam, sorry, you’ve left the religion.”
Gray, like many others, is concerned about the budding Muslim communities in places like Plano, where Evans lives.
“The only reason it’s a problem is because they’re trying to institute Sharia law, and they’re discriminating against Christians and Jews and anybody else who wants to move into that area by telling them that 75% of your money is going to go to the mosque we’re building,” Gray explains.
“There’s a misunderstanding that this is a new thing. It isn’t. There’s at least two of these pretty big communities here in Irving, where our studios are located, and there’s already an existing one, I believe, in Plano,” he continues, adding, “They’re just trying to make it much bigger.”
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If you’re an American woman, there’s a high likelihood you grew up playing with the classic American Girl dolls — where each doll came with a story depicting a historical, pure Americana tale.
But if you’re a young girl in today’s America, that’s all changing.
The classic American Girl doll has taken a turn for the politically correct, with its latest Instagram post featuring an American Girl doll celebrating the Islamic holiday of Eid al-Fitr as a part of its “Cultural Celebrations” outfit line.
Allie Beth Stuckey of “Relatable” grew up playing with the dolls and devouring their stories, so she's more than a little disappointed that her daughters won’t experience the same magic that once was.
“I’m a girl mom who has three little girls who love dolls and would love American Girl. I would love to take them to the American Girl store. I grew up reading the American Girl books. They were some of my favorite books. I remember their lives; I remember their stories and all of their different personality traits,” Stuckey recalls.
“They always championed basic virtues and also just showing appropriate confidence as a girl and the value and the uniqueness of being a girl,” she continues. “But we’ve started seeing some sketchy things over the years, because as we know, as a principle, if an institution is not explicitly biblical, not just explicitly conservative, but explicitly biblical, it will end up veering into degeneracy.”
“It will end up veering to the left, questioning basic realities like gender, breaking down the moral values that we have agreed upon at least as culturally Christian Americans for a very long time,” she adds.
Stuckey’s concern is that Islam is now being seen as a formidable part of American society.
“When I look at Muslim-majority countries everywhere, most of them are completely rot with archaic violence and chaos and oppression of the most vulnerable. When we look at all of the major terrorist groups around the world,” she says, “all of these terrorist groups, save a couple, are Islamic in nature.”
“When we look at the religious affiliations of the groups most violently persecuting both Jews and Christians around the world, it’s all Islam,” she continues. “That is not to say that every person who is Muslim is violent; that is not to say every person who is Muslim is going to be a terrorist or is going to be a radical extremist, but obviously we see the common denominator there.”
To enjoy more of Allie’s upbeat and in-depth coverage of culture, news, and theology from a Christian, conservative perspective, subscribe to BlazeTV — the largest multi-platform network of voices who love America, defend the Constitution, and live the American dream.
Texas Governor Greg Abbott (R) in late March directed the Texas Rangers, the Texas State Securities Board, and the Texas Workforce Commission to launch investigations into the East Plano Islamic Center concerning its plans to develop a Muslim-centric city on 402 acres near Josephine, roughly 40 miles outside Dallas.
The development would reportedly feature a mosque, a K-12 faith-based school, an outreach center, commercial developments, sports facilities, and 1,000 homes, townhomes, and apartments.
'There definitely could be an argument that there's conflict because I'm still being represented by him and he's representing clients that we are investigating.'
The proposed city has ignited fears within the surrounding community that it will implement Sharia law and potentially ultimately lead to a "no-go zone."
Abbott has repeatedly expressed concerns about the planned community.
In February, Abbott stated in a post on social media, "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 in the video is not allowed in Texas," the governor concluded, referring to EPIC's promotional clip advertising the plans.
The Texas Funeral Service Commission sent a cease-and-desist letter to EPIC in March, demanding that it "immediately stop all illegal funeral service operations."
According to Abbott, EPIC had been operating a funeral home without an established license in violation of state law.
Abbott announced on April 1 that EPIC "may not begin construction" on its community, stating that the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality discovered it had failed to obtain required "authorizations or permits."
The governor insisted that EPIC City "has serious legal issues" and announced that a dozen state agencies are looking into the proposed community.
The governor tasked the Texas Rangers with investigating EPIC "for potential criminal activities." The Texas Workforce Commission is probing "potential discrimination in violation of the Texas Fair Housing Act." The Texas State Securities Board is looking into any "potential financial harm to Texans." Additionally, state Attorney General Ken Paxton is examining "potential violations of Texas consumer protection laws."
"Texas vigorously safeguards the freedoms granted to American citizens in the U.S. Constitution, including the freedom of religion," Abbott said. "To that end, the Texas Workforce Commission opened an investigation into the group behind the proposed EPIC compound who are potentially breaking state fair housing laws by refusing to sell or rent housing to certain groups based on religion or other protected traits."
The RAIR Foundation USA was among the first to begin sounding the alarm about EPIC and its proposed city.
Amy Mek, the founder and editor in chief of the RAIR Foundation, warned that the project is not just "a housing development."
"It's the expansion of a Sharia-controlled society, starting with the radical school already operating at the EPIC Mosque in Plano, Texas," Mek wrote. "Now, EPIC is scaling up — EPIC City will operate with no city oversight, no state-controlled curriculum, and no accountability to American laws."
'No one associated with EPIC … follows Sharia law or is in favor of Sharia law.'
Many residents in Blue Ridge, a city roughly 20 miles away from Josephine, voiced their concerns about the proposed development during a recent city council meeting.
Douglas Deaton, a former police lieutenant in Plano, stated that a Sharia law enclave existed in Texas long before EPIC proposed its city plans.
"There seems to be a general misunderstanding that we're talking about a plan to build an Islamic, Sharia-friendly community. The EPIC neighborhood already exists in Plano. It's been there for nearly 12 years. With 74 residential properties, a massive mosque, schools, a medical clinic, and multiple businesses," he told the city council. "You have to be a member of their mosque to live there."
"This is not a matter of radicals hiding in plain sight; they're not hiding. They've been open about their beliefs and their intent," Deaton added.
On Wednesday, Paxton spoke with Blaze Media co-founder Glenn Beck about the governor's actions against EPIC, revealing interesting new details about the controversy.
"We're not going to sacrifice [our constitution] for Sharia law. It's just not going to happen in Texas," Paxton told Beck. "At the same time, we want to be cognizant that people have a right to have their own religion, and we respect that."
Paxton explained that the community cannot discriminate against potential residents based on religion, noting that doing so would violate housing laws.
He stated that he recently learned that the attorney representing EPIC City's developers, Dan Cogdell, is the same lawyer who previously defended him against impeachment. Paxton was acquitted of all charges in 2023.
The AG called it "a little concerning" that he was not made aware of that fact sooner.
"There definitely could be an argument that there's conflict because I'm still being represented by him and he's representing clients that we are investigating," Paxton told Beck.
EPIC has denied claims that its proposed community will disregard state and federal laws to implement Sharia law.
Cogdell accused Abbott of spreading lies about the planned city, claiming that the project is "the victim of racial profiling."
"These aren't foreign adversaries. These are Texans. These are Americans. These are United States citizens," Cogdell told KTVT last week. "No one associated with EPIC, no one associated with that community follows Sharia law or is in favor of Sharia law."
Cogdell had a message for Abbott.
"Quit tweeting lies, false information, and nonsense. Because my clients right now, what they are doing is they are suffering from essentially gubernatorial hate speech," he stated.
Cogdell reportedly told KTVK that his clients have received "dozens of death threats." As a result, the developers were "too scared to go on camera," according to the news outlet.
When reached for comment, the governor's office referred KTVK to previously released statements.
Beck was offered an opportunity to speak with the project's developer on Thursday, only to discover that Cogdell had been tapped to talk on their behalf. Upon realizing this, Beck canceled, insisting that he wanted a candid conversation with the developer, not the attorney. The developer signaled interest in rescheduling for next week.
During Thursday's radio show, Beck stated, "I got an email from somebody who said, 'You know, you should talk to the developer directly.'"
The email read, "Given the amount of misinformation circulating, it might be beneficial to speak directly with the landowner developer to ensure accuracy."
"So I said yes to that on the program," Beck stated. "Then I find out that it's the lawyer. Well, what happened to the directly to the landowner developer? So they said he'll be prepared for our conversation sometime next week."
"I don't have anything bad to say about the developer if it's all on the up and up," he added. "It's just, there's some things about this, the people that are engaged in it, that are a little disturbing."
The developer did not respond to a request for comment from Blaze News.
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An ISIS-inspired radical who planted fake bombs at multiple Christian churches while also developing the means for a real church bombing was convicted Friday of a federal hate crime.
"This Department of Justice has no tolerance for anyone who targets religious Americans for their faith," said Attorney General Pam Bondi. "The perpetrator of this abhorrent hate crime against Christians will face severe punishment."
Zimnako Salah, 45, traveled to four Christian churches across three states — Arizona, California, and Colorado — in the fall of 2023 wearing black backpacks. Salah was able to plant these backpacks at two of the churches: one in the sanctuary of a church in Scottsdale, Arizona, and the other in the restroom of a Roseville, California, church.
These props helped the radical sell his corresponding bomb threats, which Sid Patel, the special agent in charge of the FBI's Sacramento field office, indicated were "intended to terrorize people of faith and disrupt the peace of our communities."
The discovery of the backpack latched to a toilet inside the non-denominational church in Roseville prompted an evacuation.
Security confronted Salah before he was able to fulfill his mission on two other occasions.
The Arapahoe County Sheriff's Office in Colorado indicated that a week after Salah placed a backpack in the Roseville church, the radical attempted a repeat performance in Greenwood Village, Colorado, on Nov. 19, 2023. Salah was, however, confronted by Kevin Heaton, then an off-duty, uniformed sheriff's deputy.
'Planting a hoax bomb at the Roseville church was not an isolated incident or a prank.'
Heaton, now a captain with the sheriff's office, greeted Salah, then followed him into the church, reported KCNC-TV. When Salah made his way for the washrooms, Heaton followed. The unwanted attention prompted the radical to leave the premises with the backpack still on his person.
According the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Eastern District of California, in between fake bomb installations, Salah was building a real improvised explosive device capable of fitting in a backpack.
During a search of the radical's storage unit, an FBI bomb technician retrieved items that a bomb expert later identified in court as components of an improvised explosive device. There were apparently multiple propane canisters, including one with wiring jutting out from the neck as well as nails duct-taped to the side.
Salah's online social media records and search history revealed an interest in jihadist propaganda. Salah, who reportedly told investigators that he was a Sunni Muslim from Northern Iraq, apparently searched for videos of "infidels dying" and repeatedly watched ISIS execution videos.
"Planting a hoax bomb at the Roseville church was not an isolated incident or a prank for this defendant," said acting U.S. Attorney Michele Beckwith. "His actions were designed to threaten and intimidate the congregation because he disagreed with their religious beliefs."
Biden-appointed U.S. District Judge Dena Coggins will sentence the anti-Christian radical on July 18. Salah faces a maximum statutory penalty of six years in prison and a $250,000 fine.
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A 402-acre Muslim compound called “EPIC City” is being built by the East Plano Islamic Center, just north of Dallas-Fort Worth in Texas. Promotional material for the compound claims that it’s open to “noncitizens.”
Before being mysteriously changed, the project’s website read, “Realizing that many responsible citizens of other countries might be interested in our properties, our offering is open to any person we approve within the property and investment laws of the United States.’”
“We will limit sales to only persons we believe will contribute to the overall makeup of our community and are legally eligible to invest and buy property in the United States,” it continued.
“What that’s saying,” Sara Gonzales of “Sara Gonzales Unfiltered” explains, “‘We promise we’re following United States investment law, but if you’re from another country, if you’re from a Muslim country, if you are looking to commit any sort of, I don’t know, terrorist acts on American soil and you’re from another country and you can invest here, you could do that as long as you are Muslim.”
The state of Texas is now investigating the project for Fair Housing Act violations, because the project was clear about the preference of selling only to people of the Muslim faith, which is not legal.
The compound has also been sent a cease-and-desist letter from the Texas Funeral Service Commission for allegedly operating an unlicensed funeral home.
“But there’s another issue at hand here,” Gonzales says. “And that is whether or not this compound plans to enact Sharia law, because of course, Sharia is directly from the Quran, which is the Muslims' religious book.”
While Gonzales isn’t certain of their intentions, Yasir Qadhi, the leader of “EPIC,” has previously come out in support of Hamas after the October 7 terrorist attack — as well as Sharia law.
And it’s all on video.
“You tell me, do you think the architect of this entire center, this entire city, they’re calling it, you think the architect of this entire compound who said, ‘Yeah, Democracy sucks, Sharia is the only way,’ is planning on implementing Sharia law? Do you think that this person is planning on implementing Sharia law within the confines of this compound?” Gonzales asks.
“He has an entire lot, over a thousand homes, that he plans to enact his vision,” she adds.
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In his belated Easter message, King Charles III praised Islam as 'caring for the stranger and those in need.'
While President Trump honored Palm Sunday, King Charles III neglected it — instead honoring a pagan holiday.
Once you’re so intent on pushing your own agenda that you’re willing to arrest people for praying silently in their homes, it’s only a matter of time before you’re willing to silence them completely.
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