{"id":2588455,"date":"2026-04-08T10:00:01","date_gmt":"2026-04-08T14:00:01","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/texas-ag-candidate-tried-to-force-towns-to-greenlight-development-of-muslim-sharia-cities\/"},"modified":"2026-04-08T10:06:17","modified_gmt":"2026-04-08T14:06:17","slug":"texas-ag-candidate-tried-to-force-towns-to-greenlight-development-of-muslim-sharia-cities","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/texas-ag-candidate-tried-to-force-towns-to-greenlight-development-of-muslim-sharia-cities\/","title":{"rendered":"Texas AG Candidate Tried To Force Towns To OK &#8216;Sharia Cities&#8217;"},"content":{"rendered":"<aside class=\"mashsb-container mashsb-main mashsb-stretched\"><div class=\"mashsb-box\"><div class=\"mashsb-count mash-medium\" style=\"&quot;\"><div class=\"counts mashsbcount\">22<\/div><span class=\"mashsb-sharetext\">SHARES<\/span><\/div><div class=\"mashsb-buttons\"><a class=\"mashicon-facebook mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.conservativenewsdaily.net%2Fbreaking-news%2Ftexas-ag-candidate-tried-to-force-towns-to-greenlight-development-of-muslim-sharia-cities%2F\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Facebook<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-twitter mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/intent\/tweet?text=&amp;url=https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/?p=2588455&amp;via=ConservNewsDly\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Twitter<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-subscribe mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"#\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Subscribe<\/span><\/a><div class=\"onoffswitch2 mash-medium mashsb-noshadow\" style=\"display:none\"><\/div><\/div>\n            <\/div>\n                <div style=\"clear:both\"><\/div><\/aside>\n            <!-- Share buttons by mashshare.net - Version: 4.0.47--><p>A Federalist report examines Texas state Senator Mayes Middleton\u2019s push too curb local zoning control in teh name of addressing the housing crisis, against the backdrop of a controversial Muslim-centered development in North Texas. Middleton, who is running for attorney general, filed Senate bill 854 in January 2025 to require municipalities to approve multifamily or mixed-use housing on land owned by religious institutions, limiting local authorities\u2019 ability to block such projects and exposing officials to lawsuits. The bill was framed as treating religious groups equally and would apply across all faiths, effectively giving religious organizations a \u201cpurely ministerial\u201d duty to approve housing developments.<\/p>\n<p>The article situates the bill within the EPIC City controversy-a proposed 400-acre Muslim-centric community that <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/cracker-barrel-cofounder-speaks-out-about-rebranding-chaos-its-crazy\/\" title=\"Cracker Barrel cofounder speaks out about rebranding chaos: \u2018It\u2019s crazy\u2019\">sparked public backlash<\/a> and drew comments from Texas Gov. Greg Abbott about Sharia law. Although the U.S. Department of Justice opened an investigation into EPIC City, it was closed after developers agreed to follow federal fair housing laws. In response to opposition,Middleton released a revised statement that removed the word \u201cmosque\u201d from the bill\u2019s framing but retained language allowing churches and other <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/facebooks-political-ad-ban-is-blocking-vaccine-information\/\" title=\"Facebook\u2019s Political Ad Ban Is ...ing Vaccine Information\">faith-based groups<\/a> to use their property for housing without the usual zoning hurdles.<\/p>\n<p>Critics, including Rep. Chip Roy (who is challenging Middleton for attorney general), argued the measure would promote Islamification and flood Texas wiht inexperienced leadership in a legal role.Middleton did not respond to a request for comment by publication. The piece is written by Brianna Lyman, an elections correspondent for The Federalist, and it links to related coverage and tags such as East Plano Islamic Center, housing, Islam, Sharia, and texas.  <\/p>\n<p class=\"readmore\">\n    <button onclick=\"showReadMore()\" id=\"readmorebtn\">Read more&#8230;<\/button>\n<\/p>\n<hr id=\"line\">\n<span id=\"more\"><\/p>\n<div class=\"article-body body-md bdr-top-black pt-30\">\n<div class=\"row justify-content-center\">\n<div class=\"col-12\">\n<figure class=\"article-thumbnail mb-30 mb-sm-60\">\n<div class=\"article-thumbnail-caption d-flex align-items-center justify-content-md-end label-xs mt-15\">         <i class=\"mdi mdi-camera me-10\" aria-hidden=\"true\"><\/i>         <span class=\"visually-hidden\">Image Credit<\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=4-Ae9T6ueAc\">  WFAA \/ Youtube <\/a>       <\/div>\n<\/figure><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<div class=\"article-share text-center article-share-simple\">\n<h5 class=\"label-sm mb-10\">Share<\/h5>\n<ul class=\"article-share-list list-unstyled m-0 p-0\">\n<li class=\"article-share-facebook m-0\">       <a href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sharer\/sharer.php?u=https:\/\/thefederalist.com\/2026\/04\/08\/texas-ag-candidate-tried-to-force-towns-to-greenlight-development-of-muslim-sharia-cities\/\" target=\"_blank\">         <i class=\"mdi mdi-facebook\" aria-hidden=\"true\"><\/i>         <span class=\"visually-hidden\">Share Article on Facebook<\/span>       <\/a>     <\/li>\n<li class=\"article-share-twitter m-0\">       <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/intent\/tweet?text=Texas%20AG%20Candidate%20Tried%20To%20Force%20Towns%20To%20Greenlight%20Development%20Of%20Muslim%20%E2%80%98Sharia%20Cities%E2%80%99&amp;url=https:\/\/thefederalist.com\/2026\/04\/08\/texas-ag-candidate-tried-to-force-towns-to-greenlight-development-of-muslim-sharia-cities\/\" target=\"_blank\">         <i class=\"mdi mdi-twitter\" aria-hidden=\"true\"><\/i>         <span class=\"visually-hidden\">Share Article on Twitter<\/span>       <\/a>     <\/li>\n<li class=\"article-share-truth-social m-0\">       <a href=\"https:\/\/truthsocial.com\/share?title=Texas%20AG%20Candidate%20Tried%20To%20Force%20Towns%20To%20Greenlight%20Development%20Of%20Muslim%20%E2%80%98Sharia%20Cities%E2%80%99&amp;url=https:\/\/thefederalist.com\/2026\/04\/08\/texas-ag-candidate-tried-to-force-towns-to-greenlight-development-of-muslim-sharia-cities\/\" target=\"_blank\">         <svg xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" fill=\"currentColor\" style=\"width:36px;height:auto;\" viewbox=\"0 0 92 93\"><path d=\"M69.444 55.716H56.772v10.37h12.672zM64.487 37.795V27.32H38.666v38.664h13.18v-28.19zM21.05 27.321h12.653v10.471H21.051z\" https:><\/path><\/svg>         <span class=\"visually-hidden\">Share Article on Truth Social<\/span>       <\/a>     <\/li>\n<li class=\"article-share-link m-0\">       <button data-clipboard-text=\"https:\/\/thefederalist.com\/2026\/04\/08\/texas-ag-candidate-tried-to-force-towns-to-greenlight-development-of-muslim-sharia-cities\/\" data-tooltip-content=\"Copied!\" class=\"clip tooltip\">         <i class=\"mdi mdi-link-variant\" aria-hidden=\"true\"><\/i>         <span class=\"visually-hidden\">Copy Article Link<\/span>       <\/button>     <\/li>\n<li class=\"article-share-email m-0\">       <a href=\"mailto:?subject=Texas%20AG%20Candidate%20Tried%20To%20Force%20Towns%20To%20Greenlight%20Development%20Of%20Muslim%20%E2%80%98Sharia%20Cities%E2%80%99&amp;body=%20https:\/\/thefederalist.com\/2026\/04\/08\/texas-ag-candidate-tried-to-force-towns-to-greenlight-development-of-muslim-sharia-cities\/\" target=\"_blank\">         <i class=\"mdi mdi-email\" aria-hidden=\"true\"><\/i>         <span class=\"visually-hidden\">Share Article via Email<\/span>       <\/a>     <\/li>\n<li class=\"article-share-email m-0\"><span class=\"printfriendly pf-button  pf-alignleft\"><a target=\"_blank\" href=\"http:\/\/thefederalist.com\/#\" rel=\"nofollow\" onclick=\"window.print(); return false;\" title=\"Printer Friendly, PDF &amp; Email\"><span id=\"printfriendly-text2\" class=\"pf-button-text\"><i class=\"mdi mdi-printer\" aria-hidden=\"true\"><\/i><\/span><\/a><\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul><\/div>\n<p>A Republican Texas state senator now running for attorney general once authored a bill that would strip local governments of their ability to block religious housing developments, including the creation of Islamic cities.<\/p>\n<p>State Sen. Mayes Middleton filed <a href=\"https:\/\/capitol.texas.gov\/BillLookup\/History.aspx?LegSess=89R&amp;Bill=SB854\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Senate Bill 854<\/a> in January of 2025, <a href=\"https:\/\/capitol.texas.gov\/tlodocs\/89R\/analysis\/pdf\/SB00854I.pdf\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">pitching<\/a> it as a solution to Texas&rsquo; housing shortage. The legislation would require municipalities to approve multifamily or mixed-use housing projects built on land owned by religious institutions, and limit locals&rsquo; ability to stop the development. According to the <a href=\"https:\/\/legiscan.com\/TX\/text\/SB854\/id\/3065958\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">bill<\/a>, municipalities would have a &ldquo;purely ministerial&rdquo; duty to rubber-stamp projects while also exposing municipalities to lawsuits if they tried to block construction.<\/p>\n<div class=\"fdrlst__b89e9-paragraph-2 d-flex justify-content-center\" style=\"margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center; \" id=\"fdrlst__b89e9-1678408064\">\n<div id=\"div-gpt-ad-1463670073398-0\" class=\"mb-30\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p>Middleton framed the legislation in his <a href=\"https:\/\/capitol.texas.gov\/tlodocs\/89R\/analysis\/pdf\/SB00854I.pdf\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">statement of intent<\/a> as fighting back against &ldquo;unnecessary governmental interference&rdquo; and made clear the scope of the legislation extended across all religious groups.<\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote is-layout-flow wp-block-quote-is-layout-flow\">\n<p>This legislation empowers churches, synagogues, mosques, and other religious groups to use their land to benefit their communities, aligning with their mission to serve those in need. S.B. 854 ensures that religious organizations have the freedom to use their land for housing development without unnecessary governmental interference.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p>Middleton said in subsequent testimony that his bill would permit religious institutions to make &ldquo;multifamily and mixed use housing on their land as a matter of right without requiring cumbersome zoning changes, special variances, or land use approvals that needlessly delay or block development.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<p>But at the same time Middleton was proposing this legislation, Texans were fighting a proposed Muslim-centric community known as EPIC City. The project set out to build a 400-acre community fit with religious schools, a mosque, and homes, according to <a href=\"https:\/\/spectrumlocalnews.com\/tx\/austin\/news\/2026\/03\/20\/ag-paxton-muslim-centric-development-\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Spectrum Local News<\/a>. As reported by <a href=\"https:\/\/www.newsnationnow.com\/religion\/muslim-community-development-sparks-sharia-law-debate-in-texas\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">News Nation<\/a>, &ldquo;The development aims to create a self-sustaining community for local Muslims.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<p>Texas Gov. Greg Abbott <a href=\"https:\/\/x.com\/GregAbbott_TX\/status\/1894053102430405050?s=20\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">said<\/a> the plan seemed &ldquo;to imply&rdquo; a &ldquo;no go zones&rdquo; with &ldquo;Sharia.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;To be clear, Sharia law is not allowed in Texas,&rdquo; Abbott said in a 2025 post on X. Developers of the community said they were obeying state and local laws, such as the Fair Housing Act, according to News Nation. The Department of Justice later launched an <a href=\"https:\/\/www.cornyn.senate.gov\/news\/cornyn-announces-doj-investigation-into-epic-city\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">investigation<\/a> into the East Plano Islamic Center (EPIC) City, though the investigation was closed after developers &ldquo;agreed to follow federal fair housing laws,&rdquo; according to <a href=\"https:\/\/www.ksat.com\/news\/texas\/2026\/02\/13\/feds-launch-fair-housing-probe-into-north-texas-development-marketed-to-muslims\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">KSAT<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>Amidst the opposition to the Muslim city last year, Middleton released a new <a href=\"https:\/\/capitol.texas.gov\/tlodocs\/89R\/analysis\/pdf\/SB00854S.pdf\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">statement of intent<\/a> that specifically removed the word &ldquo;mosque&rdquo; but still specified that the legislation would allow &ldquo;churches and other faith-based organizations to utilize their property for housing solutions that address Texas&rsquo; affordability crisis while maintaining their mission to serve the community.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<p>In other words, the mechanics of the legislation didn&rsquo;t change, just the front-facing language, given the public backlash to a potential Islamic city. Middleton&rsquo;s legislation would still significantly hinder local governments&rsquo; ability to stop projects like EPIC City, even as public opposition grows.<\/p>\n<p>Rep. Chip Roy, who is running against Middleton in the attorney general race, told The Federalist the &ldquo;bill would fuel the Islamification of Texas in the false name of religious liberty and exemplifies why Texas shouldn&rsquo;t elect an <a href=\"https:\/\/amzn.to\/3YuVZYV\" >inexperienced politician playing lawyer &#038;ndash<\/a>; like David Mayes Middleton II &ndash; as the Chief Legal Officer of the State. &nbsp;We need an accomplished attorney as Attorney General who knows how to look down the field, not someone who endangers us while trying to <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/21-house-republicans-vote-against-awarding-medals-to-all-police-who-were-at-january-6-riot\/\" title=\"21 House Republicans Vote Against Awarding Medals To All Police Who Were At January 6 Riot\">score cheap political points<\/a>.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<p>Middleton did not return a request for comment by the time of publication. <\/p>\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator\">\n<div class=\"article-author-description fst-italic\">      Brianna Lyman is an elections correspondent at The Federalist. Brianna graduated from Fordham University with a degree in International Political Economy. Her work has been featured on Newsmax, Fox News, Fox Business and RealClearPolitics. Follow Brianna on X: @briannalyman2<\/div>\n<div class=\"article-author mt-30 mt-sm-60 pt-30 bdr-top-bold-black\">\n<div class=\"row g-0 align-items-center\">\n<div class=\"col-12 col-md-6\">\n<div class=\"article-author-profile d-flex align-items-center justify-content-center justify-content-md-start\">\n<div class=\"article-author-details\">\n<div class=\"label-md\">Brianna Lyman<\/div>\n<div class=\"article-author-twitter label-sm d-flex align-items-center mt-10\">             <i class=\"mdi mdi-twitter me-5\" aria-hidden=\"true\"><\/i>             <span class=\"visually-hidden\">Visit on Twitter<\/span>            <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/briannalyman2\" target=\"_blank\" class=\"text-decoration-none\">@briannalyman2<\/a>           <\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<div class=\"col-12 col-md-6 d-flex justify-content-center justify-content-md-end mt-15 mt-md-0\">        <a href=\"https:\/\/thefederalist.com\/author\/briannalyman\/\" class=\"btn btn-black btn-small\">More Articles<\/a>     <\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<div class=\"article-tags bdr-top-black mt-30 mt-sm-60 pt-15 pt-md-45\">\n<ul class=\"list-unstyled d-flex flex-wrap align-items-center mb-0 mx-n10 p-0\">\n<li class=\"mt-10 mx-10\"><a href=\"https:\/\/thefederalist.com\/tag\/east-plano-islamic-center\/\" class=\"btn btn-black btn-small\">East Plano Islamic Center<\/a><\/li>\n<li class=\"mt-10 mx-10\"><a href=\"https:\/\/thefederalist.com\/tag\/housing\/\" class=\"btn btn-black btn-small\">housing<\/a><\/li>\n<li class=\"mt-10 mx-10\"><a href=\"https:\/\/thefederalist.com\/tag\/islam\/\" class=\"btn btn-black btn-small\">Islam<\/a><\/li>\n<li class=\"mt-10 mx-10\"><a href=\"https:\/\/thefederalist.com\/tag\/islamification\/\" class=\"btn btn-black btn-small\">Islamification<\/a><\/li>\n<li class=\"mt-10 mx-10\"><a href=\"https:\/\/thefederalist.com\/tag\/ken-paxton\/\" class=\"btn btn-black btn-small\">Ken Paxton<\/a><\/li>\n<li class=\"mt-10 mx-10\"><a href=\"https:\/\/thefederalist.com\/tag\/mayes-middleton\/\" class=\"btn btn-black btn-small\">Mayes Middleton<\/a><\/li>\n<li class=\"mt-10 mx-10\"><a href=\"https:\/\/thefederalist.com\/tag\/muslim\/\" class=\"btn btn-black btn-small\">Muslim<\/a><\/li>\n<li class=\"mt-10 mx-10\"><a href=\"https:\/\/thefederalist.com\/tag\/religion\/\" class=\"btn btn-black btn-small\">Religion<\/a><\/li>\n<li class=\"mt-10 mx-10\"><a href=\"https:\/\/thefederalist.com\/tag\/sharia\/\" class=\"btn btn-black btn-small\">Sharia<\/a><\/li>\n<li class=\"mt-10 mx-10\"><a href=\"https:\/\/thefederalist.com\/tag\/texas\/\" class=\"btn btn-black btn-small\">Texas<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>TX Sen Middleton backs religious-housing bill<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":74,"featured_media":2588456,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_mo_disable_npp":"","fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/thefederalist.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/Screenshot-2026-04-07-at-3.43.32-PM-scaled-e1775591103241-1024x576.png","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[33651],"tags":[77394,37198,32274,62604,37104],"class_list":["post-2588455","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-the-western-journal","tag-attorney-general-candidate","tag-local-government","tag-religious-freedom","tag-sharia-law","tag-texas-politics"],"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/thefederalist.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/Screenshot-2026-04-07-at-3.43.32-PM-scaled-e1775591103241-1024x576.png","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2588455","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/74"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2588455"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2588455\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2588463,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2588455\/revisions\/2588463"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2588456"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2588455"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2588455"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2588455"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}