Overview
- Developers said they adopted the new name to dispel confusion that the project would be a separate municipality.
- The proposed 400-acre plan includes roughly 1,000 homes plus a mosque, Islamic school, parks and clinics, and it remains in early planning with no permits filed or construction started.
- Gov. Greg Abbott denounced the project and directed multiple state agencies and the Texas Rangers to investigate, and GOP leaders accused organizers of aiming to impose Sharia law.
- The Justice Department opened and then closed an inquiry without finding wrongdoing, the Texas Workforce Commission reached a fair-housing compliance agreement requiring training and reporting, and the attorney general referred alleged securities violations to the state securities board.
- Developers say the community would be open to all faiths, while some outlets have highlighted past recordings attributed to cleric Yasir Qadhi that drew criticism; Qadhi has described earlier remarks as a mistake and official probes have not substantiated criminal conduct.