Texas Governor Signs Law Banning Sharia Compounds

Texas Governor Greg Abbott signed House Bill 4211, a law banning residential developments that create religiously exclusive communities, specifically targeting projects like the EPIC City development in Collin County. The law aims to prevent the establishment of so-called Sharia compounds and protect Texans from discriminatory housing practices and fraudulent investment schemes, requiring legal disputes related to such developments to be resolved in state or federal courts. Abbott stated the legislation protects religious freedom and the right to contract, emphasizing that no one can impose Sharia law or create segregated zones in Texas. The EPIC City project, which plans to build homes, a mosque, a faith-based school, and shops, has denied allegations of enforcing Sharia law or restricting sales, asserting compliance with state laws. Civil rights groups, including the Texas chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations, condemned the law as discriminatory and based on conspiracy theories, warning it fosters fear and unfairly targets Muslim Texans. Abbott's move followed a viral video of a Muslim imam urging businesses to stop selling pork, lottery tickets, and alcohol, which fueled political backlash and calls for the legislation.