Owais Khan just wants to go pray.\u00a0<\/p>\n
But an undeniably amplified voice booming across the way calls him a sinner and warns him of his impending eternal damnation, unless he disavows Islam and accepts Jesus Christ as his sole savior and the Son of God, as he walks to the front door of the East Plano Islamic Center (EPIC)<\/a>. Khan, and about a thousand other visitors, rushed to make it in time for Jummah, the Friday prayer service that is mandatory for Muslim men. But the screaming voices of Christians camped out on the public pasture right outside EPIC\u2019s property line are a loud reminder of the hateful misconceptions of his faith and his mosque that have been propelled by government leaders.\u00a0<\/a> <\/p>\n \u201cThis is where we are right now in this country,\u201d Khan said. \u201cThere\u2019s just so much hatred. Everyone is trying to divide everyone else into these little groups. Why? Why are we doing this to ourselves?\u201d<\/p>\n Khan, along with more than a thousand other worshippers at one of the largest mosques in North Texas, can still hear the backyard televangelists from EPIC\u2019s foyer, even though they\u2019re at least 300 feet away. The mosque\u2019s imam has told the worshippers not to engage with the screaming protesters lest they find themselves at the center of internet virality, a risk he says they should not be willing to take.\u00a0\u00a0 <\/p>\n The evangelist group, which comes prepared for its two-hour sermons on the lawn with a tent, amplifier and Bibles to distribute, calls itself Testimonies of God and aims to \u201cprovide biblically sound and thoroughly curated content for all things Christian-based.\u201d They do so in the usual way: by screaming at passersby in communal spaces and then posting their sermons and rage-bait interactions on TikTok for their 4,800 followers.\u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cRepent and turn to Jesus Christ,\u201d an unidentified voice yells through a megaphone at one of the Muslim worshippers filmed in a close-up video posted to their account. The worshipper approached the group, calling them \u201cdisrespectful.\u201d Third-party security carefully ushered him away. More people joined in to hold back the man as the evangelists continued to yell at him.\u00a0That specific video is the group\u2019s most viewed post, with 35,000 views.<\/p>\n \u201cAllah is a liar. He doesn\u2019t exist. Repent and turn to Jesus today. Cry out to God, sir. Turn to Jesus\u2026 I hope God has convicted you right now, to show you that Muhammad was a false prophet\u2026 Jesus died for sinners; he can save a Muslim and make them a Christian today.\u201d<\/p>\n This is exactly what the Mosque is trying to avoid, and it seems, to them, it\u2019s exactly what the protesters are trying to incite.\u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cThey want us to do something,\u201d said Khan. \u201cThey\u2019re trying to make us do something. Maybe we\u2019re going to get mad at them and start fighting them, and then they\u2019ll post something like, \u2018Oh, these are how bad Muslims are.\u2019 Luckily, so far, nothing has happened. But I\u2019m afraid that someone will do something, some kid will get mad at them and fight them or something, and then the entire community will be painted a picture.\u201d<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n How EPIC Became Public Enemy No. 1<\/p>\n The Testimonies of God, a non-profit based in Rockwall\u00a0and led by founder Landon Thurman, preaches in pop-up-style events across North Texas. You can even find them\u00a0mic\u2019d up<\/a> in the AT&T Discovery District.<\/a> However, EPIC\u2019s resident scholar, Yasir Qadhi, the person in charge of all religious teaching at the mosque, says his place of worship wasn\u2019t on the map until the social media vitriol of the state\u2019s governor, Greg Abbott, put it there.\u00a0 <\/p>\n Earlier this year, EPIC purchased a 402-acre plot of land on the fringes of Collin County. There, they planned to build a Muslim-oriented community development complete with housing, a school, a Mosque, and other amenities. However, the development was hit with \u201ccult-like allegations\u201d after some confusion surrounding residency requirements.\u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cRealizing 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,\u201d read the project\u2019s website. \u201c[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.\u201d<\/p>\n If being Muslim were a requirement to purchase a home in the community, it would violate the Fair Housing Act of 1968, which prohibits discrimination in housing on the basis of race, gender, nationality, familial status, and religion.\u00a0<\/p>\n The development proposal landed on the wrong side of the internet and a swarm of far-right and self-proclaimed Islamophobes flooded social media with disgust for what they called a \u201cSharia city.\u201d EPIC, which has been around since 2003, is no stranger to prejudice, but things blew out of proportion when the governor himself joined the smear campaign, and then expended his every resource to target the mosque.\u00a0 <\/p>\n \u201cOne wonders whether the type of rhetoric that we\u2019re hearing from our elected officials and the attention that is being given to EPIC, is that a direct cause for what is happening?,\u201d said Qadgi. \u201cIf so, then our elected officials need to be conscious of the type of fear-mongering that is taking place. The type of, frankly, incitement. Our mosque has been mentioned multiple times, and without a doubt, there has been a concerted, intentional effort to foster an environment of fear and hostility against us.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n In Feb. 2025, Abbott tweeted, \u201cTo be clear, Sharia law is not allowed in Texas. Nor are Sharia cities.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n That was only the beginning.\u00a0<\/p>\n Abbott soon announced that a dozen state departments were investigating EPIC. The next day, Attorney General Ken Paxton joined the legal action, and Sen. John Cornyn announced that the federal Department of Justice was looking into EPIC\u2019s dealings.\u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cThis is the tip of the iceberg,\u201d the governor wrote on X. \u201cWe are uncovering legal violations by EPIC City that go far beyond what people realize. The proposed community will never see the light of day. More to come.\u201d<\/p>\n The mosque received a cease-and-desist letter from the Texas Funeral Services Commission, ordering it to halt any funeral proceedings. Other investigations are still ongoing, and the governor will occasionally mention EPIC in a tweet from time to time. But for the most part, the social media hate deluge has subsided, leaving only the most passionate of Islamophobes and protesters outside.<\/p>\n Conversation, Not Conversion<\/p>\n The evangelist protestors have been demonstrating during Jummah for months now. They missed this week, so they packed up their bullhorn and got their passports stamped in Uganda for mission work. However, Thurman explained that they were ready and eager to return to EPIC on the first Friday following their return.\u00a0 <\/p>\n Thurman says the social media frenzy has nothing to do with Abbott\u2019s tirade, but EPIC leaders note the timelines are fairly coincidental.\u00a0 <\/p>\n \u201cOur presence at EPIC mosque was not political, nor a reaction to any governor\u2019s statement,\u201d Thurman said in an email filled with mentions of more than 20 Bible verses. \u201cWe preach the Gospel at many locations such as stadiums, festivals, streets, temples, and mosques alike. Our mission is consistent worldwide: to call all people everywhere to repentance and faith in Christ (Acts 17:30). We do not protest people; we proclaim the Savior who died and rose again.\u201d<\/p>\n The resident scholar says he isn\u2019t too bothered by the Testimonies of God. He recognized their fundamental right to speak on public property is just as fundamental as his own right to be a Muslim man. But he wishes they did it just a little bit quieter.\u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cHave they had any success anywhere in the world with that type of tactic?\u201d said Qadhi. \u201cI can\u2019t imagine that works, but if that\u2019s what they want to do, it\u2019s their constitutional right, and we\u2019re not asking for that to be taken, but I just would like to know why this sentiment exists in the first place.\u201d\u00a0 <\/p>\n Qadhi and Khan say that the protesters have been invited into the mosque several times. Both men are eager to welcome the group into their place of worship, not for conversion, but for conversation.\u00a0 <\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s a lot of hatred coming for no reason and a lot of misunderstanding,\u201d said Qadhi. \u201cI would love to dialogue with them. I would love to engage with them and even have a debate. But to believe that it\u2019s an effective mechanism of your time to stand outside a place of worship during their peak time and stand in front of the cars, I don\u2019t understand.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n Khan says the protestors have so far refused to step inside the mosque. Thurman says they\u2019ve never received a formal invite from EPIC\u2019s official leaders. Qadhi says he\u2019ll be waiting for the group\u2019s return, and asked the Observer to relay the invitation to Testimonies of God. Thurman said he\u2019s not interested in going in anytime soon. And the police say there\u2019s not much they can do about the guys yelling on the lawn.\u00a0<\/p>\n On their first arrival, Testimonies of God was issued a citation for criminal trespassing by the Plano Police Department. Now they\u2019re extra careful about where they stand, and keep their decibel right under the city ordinance level, they say.\u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cWe do not enter mosques or participate in interfaith events because our mission is evangelistic, not ecumenical,\u201d said Thurman. \u201c\u2026 We use microphones so that all who pass by can hear clearly, yet we make every effort to be reasonable, respectful, and compliant with local laws\u2026 The message of the cross was never meant to remain inside walls; it belongs in the hearing of the world.\u201d<\/p>\n But by now, EPIC has lawyers on speed dial, and their representation has filed a lawsuit against Thurman, Testimonies of God, Heritage Grace Community Church and the revolving door of unidentified John Does who join the protests. The lawsuit alleges that Testimonies of God and affiliated parties are violating the Plano\u2019s noise ordinances. EPIC leaders understand their hands are tied when it comes to the protestors going away, but maybe they can try to keep it down.\u00a0<\/a> <\/p>\n \u201cNot only does this activity constitute a nuisance, but it also violates the City of Plano\u2019s noise ordinance in a manner plainly designed to disrupt Plaintiff\u2019s exercise of their faith pursuant to ongoing religious services,\u201d reads the lawsuit filed in a Collin County District Court. \u201cTo date, Defendants have refused to voluntarily cease their offending, nuisance-producing behavior, thus necessitating this suit for declaratory and injunctive relief.\u201d<\/p>\n Is This What Jesus Would Do? <\/p>\n The invitation for cookies and conversation stands.\u00a0<\/p>\n EPIC leaders and attendees would be happy to dispel some of the bigoted rumors about their faith, starting with the notion of a \u201cSharia city.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cThe only one who talks about Sharia law is Abbott,\u201d said Khan, who identifies as a conservative Muslim, but acknowledged EPIC is made up of an incredibly diverse body. \u201cWe, in our mosque,\u00a0 don\u2019t even bring that up. What are you talking about? It [Sharia law] doesn\u2019t make any sense to me. I\u2019m learning this from non-Muslims.\u201d<\/p>\n