(José Niño, Headline USA) Toward the end of March, the Texas State House passed a resolution designating “Pakistan Day.”
This resolution was introduced by State Rep. Dr. Suleman Lalani, an immigrant from Pakistan, who represents Texas House District 76, which primarily covers a portion of Fort Bend County, including cities such as Sugar Land, Stafford, Richmond, and Meadows Place.
🚨JUST IN: Texas passes resolution declaring March 23 as 'Pakistan Day'
We now have an official 'Pakistan Day' in America.
Texas is also allowing a Muslim only community called "Epic City" to be built. pic.twitter.com/oqUiJAHWxZ
— Derrick Evans (@DerrickEvans4WV) April 2, 2025
This resolution commemorates the 85th anniversary of the Lahore Resolution — a political declaration that calls for the establishment of independent states in regions where Muslims were the majority, such as the northwestern and eastern zones of British India. Additionally, the resolution recognizes the “societal, religious, linguistic, and economic contributions” of the roughly 80,000 Pakistanis living in Texas.
“The success of Texas has been bolstered by Pakistanis and Pakistani Texans through their professional work, cultural background, and values of peace and prosperity,” the resolution stressed.
The passage of this resolution comes against the backdrop of concerns of Texas becoming a new hub for Islam.
Epic City is at the center of these concerns. The East Plano Islamic Center (EPIC) is spearheading the creation of a 402-acre development project proposed for unincorporated areas in Collin and Hunt counties, approximately 40 miles northeast of Dallas near the city of Josephine, Texas.
The proposed development would include:
- More than 1,000 single and multi-family homes
- A new mosque
- A K-12 faith-based school
- Senior housing
- Commercial developments
- Sports facilities
- A community college
Per Yasir Qadhi, a resident scholar at the Plano mosque, the idea for Epic City emerged in response to the growing Muslim population in the region.
“We need more space, and there are people coming from across the country. Dallas is now known to be a hub of people of our faith, coming not just to the city, but specifically to our mosque,” Qadhi stated.
The Texas state government has responded to this development in a negative fashion.
Governor Greg Abbott stated that “Sharia law is not allowed in Texas,” and has referred to the proposed EPIC City as a potential “Sharia city” or “no-go zone,” which he asserts would be clashing with state laws.
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. https://t.co/5Sw5VdXD31
— Greg Abbott (@GregAbbott_TX) February 24, 2025
He emphasized that all entities in Texas must follow state law, not alternative legal frameworks like Sharia law.
In response to the proposed EPIC development, the Texas government has taken multiple measures to investigate it, amid allegations of potential illegal activities.
For example, Abbott has instructed the Texas Rangers to investigate EPIC and its affiliates for potential criminal law violations. In a similar vein, the Attorney General of Texas Ken Paxton is investigating the EPIC project for potential violations of consumer protection laws.
The Muslim population in the Dallas metropolitan area has grown in recent years. According to certain estimates, the Muslim population in Dallas city alone is approximately 150,000 individuals, making it one of the cities with the largest Muslim populations in the United States.
The broader Texas Muslim population was estimated at 313,209 as of 2020, putting it in 5th place among states with the largest Muslim populations in the country.
José Niño is the deputy editor of Headline USA. Follow him at x.com/JoseAlNino
