Christians in Texas are publicly rejecting plans for an Islamic mosque in McKinney. Following a lengthy City Council meeting that was supposed to focus on the plan’s compliance with existing zoning regulations, members voted 7-0, approving the McKinney Islamic Association’s site plan. The plan featured a roughly 32,000-square-foot complex on approximately 5 acres of land. It also included a 15,000-square-foot sanctuary, classroom building, and gymnasium.
This is not the first effort by the McKinney Islamic Association to establish such a facility in the area. Initially, the organization had proposed a larger, roughly 40,000-square-foot facility in 2024. Following opposition from members of the public, that plan was withdrawn, and a designed project was submitted last year.
Among more than 150 people who signed up to speak during public comment were Pastor Corey Shahan, an elder at Grace Covenant Baptist Church in McKinney, and his son Luke Shahan, who boldly opposed the plans because of Islamic ideology.
Shahan stated that his views are not fueled by hostility to any individual, as everyone bears the image of God and is worthy of dignity and justice.
“My concern is not with people, but with ideas,” he specified, “Every civilization is ultimately shaped by the beliefs it embraces. Worldviews are never neutral. They produce culture, laws and institutions. The freedoms we enjoy today did not arise in a vacuum. They are the fruit of a distinctly Christian understanding of God, man, justice, liberty, the family and the rule of law.”
Shahan also urged the City Council to analyze the “ideological claims of Islam as a comprehensive religious and legal system,” including Sharia law, as part of their oversight of the mosque development project.
“In a number of countries where Islamic law has governed public life, freedoms such as religious liberty, freedom of conscience and equal legal protections for women and religious minorities have been significantly, significantly restricted,” he said. “Those realities stand in sharp contrast to the constitutional order and civil liberties that have developed within the heritage of Western civilization.”
His son Luke, also spoke on the matter, echoing his father’s arguments and comparing the teachings of the Bible with those of the Quran. He highlighted the Islamic concept of dhimmi, a historical term for other groups living in an Islamic state.
“Christianity teaches love your neighbor, turn the other cheek, and other biblical principles rooted in truth. It is a faith that respects the sovereignty of the individual conscience. In contrast, Islamic ideology, especially under the framework of Sharia law, presents a comprehensive legal and social system that often supersedes individual rights in favor of religious obligation,” he said. “We also see, due to different worldviews, a different view of political framework and the concept of dhimmi status, where non-Muslims are tolerated but not equal partners in the civic square. Americans will be seen as inferior in their own nation under Muslim corruption.”
In addition, he contended that the American heritage is inherently Christian and urged the city to protect that heritage.
“We are not here to draw lines on a map, but to emphasize the nature of our community. McKinney has always been more than a collection of homes and businesses,” he said. “The laws, principles and community itself are rooted in America’s heritage, which is Christian.”
The McKinney Islamic Association was founded in 1997 and is currently experiencing overcrowding. That location is expected to remain open after the new campus is built, with roughly 30% of Friday attendance staying at the current location, while 70% transitions to the new site. This would make the fourth operating mosque in McKinney in addition to a Sufaraa Center.
