Dr. Yasir Qadhi Says Out‑of‑State Anti‑Mosque Protest Was ‘Dismal Failure’ as EPIC Project Pushes Ahead
Bj Lewis
Dr. Yasir Qadhi, a senior scholar at the East Plano Islamic Center (EPIC), said an anti‑mosque protest led by out‑of‑state activists “failed” to intimidate North Texas Muslims, arguing that a community food‑pantry event and routine worship at the center overshadowed demonstrators’ hostility. Speaking at a press availability after the march described in recent coverage of Jake Lang’s anti‑mosque campaign, Qadhi said the protesters’ claims about “Islamification” and Sharia “have nothing to do” with what local Muslims believe or do, and stressed that the planned EPIC‑linked neighborhood project remains open to “anybody and everybody.”
‘Their Hatred Was Won Over by the Love We Displayed’
Qadhi told reporters the demonstrators’ efforts fell flat compared with the mosque’s day‑to‑day community work. “Their hatred was won over by the love that we displayed,” he said, adding that protesters’ “shrill” chants were “drowned out” by volunteers distributing food to families in need.
He described the protesters as a “fringe extremist group” whose message centered on “hatred and division and just spreading misconceptions and lies.” He said their numbers were “so few” that the event would have been comical if not for its intimidating impact on women and children entering the center. Qadhi emphasized that, from his perspective, the episode showed the contrast between “bigotry” outside and “dignity and decency and compassion” inside the mosque.
“This is what we are as Americans, this is what we are as Muslims,” Qadhi said. “We stand for faith and virtue, and we stand for dignity and decency and compassion.”
Pushing Back on ‘Fifth Column’ and Sharia Claims
Addressing misinformation that protesters and some politicians spread, Qadhi rejected the notion that Muslims at EPIC or in the surrounding community are a “fifth column” seeking to overthrow the U.S. Constitution or impose Islamic law. “We, like all other faith communities, are worshiping according to our tradition, but we are all American citizens, and we’re here to uphold the law,” he said, noting that Muslims rely on the same constitutional protections of religious freedom as other groups.
He explained that, for his community, Sharia refers to a moral framework centered on “loving God, loving country, loving family, being honest, being dignified, being upright,” rather than a parallel legal system. “Their caricature of Sharia has nothing to do with what we are doing,” he added, calling that portrayal the main piece of misinformation he wanted to correct.
EPIC Neighborhood Project ‘Open for Anybody and Everybody’
Dr. Yasir Qadhi was speaking in favor of the EPIC‑linked neighborhood initiative—promoted in earlier coverage as a master‑planned development that some critics have labeled “Muslim‑centric”—used the same press conference to rebut claims that the project aims to enforce Sharia or create “Muslim‑only” or “no‑go” zones. The representative said the development is designed as a family‑oriented neighborhood with a retirement facility, nursery, school, and housing, and insisted it “is open for anybody and everybody” and has been conceived that way “from day one.”
“The only people that are invoking Sharia law or Muslim‑only zones are the very people that are claiming we have these,” the representative said, arguing that such language comes from opponents, not planners or residents. Attorney Dan Cogdell, who represents the East Plano Islamic Center, noted that the team will “deal with the lawsuit just the way we dealt with all the other hurdles,” expressing hope they will prevail in court and “get on with the development of a community that’s going to benefit the community.”
Out‑of‑State Activists and Political Incentives
Qadhi said most protesters outside the mosque had traveled from outside Texas, while neighbors in Plano and North Dallas “understand” the mosque’s role and have interacted with its members for more than two decades. He described the campaign against EPIC and the neighborhood project as a form of harassment “for really no reason,” rooted in caricatures and stereotypes rather than direct engagement.
Asked why he believes activists feel threatened, Qadhi suggested that the misinformation “might have a political twist or agenda,” noting that it is election season. He said history shows “one of the easiest ways for a lagging politician to gain in the polls is to create a boogeyman… and then tell the same community, ‘Hey, I’m going to protect you from the very boogeyman that I’ve created.’” While he declined to ascribe motives to specific individuals, he warned that such tactics may work in the short term but “break the fabric of civil society” over time.
‘Business as Usual’ After the March
Looking ahead, Qadhi said EPIC will continue its regular activities despite outside demonstrations. “We’re going to continue worshiping and feeding the hungry and taking care of the poor and making sure that anybody under suffering conditions has a place to stay,” he said. “Nothing is going to change… because that’s who we are.”
He urged those who have heard alarmist rhetoric about “Islamification” to visit a mosque, meet local Muslims, and “engage with us” before concluding. “You will find us to be just like everybody else,” he said, describing the community as “faith‑centric, family‑oriented, tax‑paying [and] God‑fearing,” committed to contributing to the broader fabric of the country.