Florida Republican gubernatorial candidate Byron Donalds has pledged to oppose what he describes as “EPIC City”-style developments in the state, arguing that communities governed by Islamic legal principles would be incompatible with the U.S. Constitution and the legal framework of Florida.
Donalds made the remarks while addressing concerns over the role of Sharia law, Muslim-oriented residential developments and what he views as the potential emergence of isolated communities operating according to religious rules rather than American law.
“Sharia law is incompatible with American constitutionalism and Western civilization. It is incompatible!” Donalds said.
He argued that proponents of such systems could potentially attempt to use constitutional freedoms—including religious liberty and other civil rights—to advance a legal structure that, in his view, conflicts with the foundations of the American constitutional system.
“They want to use our rights against us,” Donalds said, describing Sharia as a governing legal structure that, according to him, cannot operate within Florida or the United States.
His comments come amid continuing political controversy surrounding EPIC City, a proposed large-scale Muslim-oriented residential development in Texas. The project, originally known as EPIC City and later referred to as The Meadow, has been planned on approximately 400 acres near Josephine, northeast of Dallas. Plans have included residential properties, a mosque, a faith-based K-12 school, commercial facilities and other community amenities.
The project has become a major political flashpoint, with critics portraying it as an attempt to establish a Sharia-governed enclave. However, the developers and supporters of the project have disputed that characterization, saying it is intended to be a Muslim-centered residential community and would remain subject to Texas and U.S. law. Reporting has also noted that EPIC City would not constitute an independent municipality with its own government.
That distinction is important because the existence of a Muslim-oriented residential development does not, by itself, establish that Sharia law has replaced or superseded American law. The controversy has nevertheless provided political ammunition for conservatives who argue that religiously concentrated communities could eventually create social or political enclaves.
Donalds connected that debate to developments in Europe, warning that Florida should not follow what he described as the European experience.
“We have seen what has happened in Europe… they allowed these EPIC Cities or these Sharia enclaves. Now they’re in their parliament and they are weakening the ability of European nations to stand firm for Western civilization,” he said.
His argument reflects a broader political debate over immigration, religious integration, multiculturalism and national identity in Europe. Donalds contends that European governments have been too permissive toward communities he believes are insufficiently integrated into the broader national culture.
“We will continue to stand firm just like Governor DeSantis has,” Donalds added.
The remarks position Donalds firmly within Florida’s conservative political tradition, particularly on issues involving immigration, cultural identity, religious freedom and the limits of government accommodation.
Donalds, a Republican congressman and prominent conservative figure, is campaigning to succeed Governor Ron DeSantis. His campaign is taking place against a backdrop of intense national political debate, while Florida itself remains a major battleground over the direction of conservative governance. Recent reporting has characterized Donalds as a leading Republican candidate whose campaign has increasingly emphasized issues affecting Floridians, including affordability, insurance costs and government transparency.
Ultimately, Donalds’ comments represent a political warning about what he believes could happen if Florida permits the development of communities that he views as potential religious enclaves. His pledge signals that, if elected governor, he would seek to prevent what he considers attempts to establish alternative systems of governance or legal authority within the state.
Whether such developments actually amount to attempts to impose Sharia law remains a matter of significant political and legal dispute. What is clear, however, is that the EPIC City controversy has become part of a much larger American argument over religious freedom, constitutional supremacy, immigration and the meaning of cultural integration.
For Donalds, the message is unequivocal: Florida should remain governed exclusively by the U.S. Constitution, federal law and Florida law—and, in his words, “will not become Europe.”
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