The Murfreesboro Post filed an appeal Tuesday in the Tennessee Court of Appeals contending a Rutherford County judge unfairly targeted the publication and later erred by declining to rule on its legal status, as part of the on-going litigation over construction of the Islamic Center of Murfreesboro.

In the appeal, attorney David LaRoche contends Chancellor Robert Corlew III unnecessarily created controversy when none existed prior to the Islamic Center lawsuit, yet declined to rule on its status as a newspaper of general circulation.

As a result of those doubts being raised, he is arguing The Post has suffered a decline in advertising revenue for many types of legal notices even though it meets the definition of a newspaper of general circulation under Tennessee law.

The Post is a free newspaper that is published every Thursday and Sunday, and it is distributed to racks throughout Rutherford County. The locally owned publication also offers home delivery subscriptions to readers who live in the Middle Tennessee area.

"Other than the public notice in this case, there has never been a challenge to the adequacy of any other legal notice in The Post," LaRoche said in the appeal, which is scheduled to be heard in March.

Furthermore, he said, the Tennessee Attorney General's Office has never withdrawn its opinion classifying The Post as a newspaper of general circulation.

Murfreesboro Post, 19 February 2013

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More than two years of a rocky path behind it, the Islamic Center of Murfreesboro celebrated its opening Sunday with food, fellowship and special guests.

Each guest was greeted and offered a tour of the facility before being ushered to the main assembly hall for a program with several speakers, including Jerry Martin, U.S. attorney for Middle Tennessee, and Thomas Perez, U.S. assistant attorney general of the Department of Justice.

"Today, Sunday, Nov. 18, marks the occasion of the opening of the Islamic Center of Murfreesboro," said Essam Fathy, ICM chairman. "I don't know if you can tell how truly proud I am to say that.

"It was a long and bumpy road, a journey like no other. It was rough," Fathy said.

The mosque remains the focal point of an open meetings lawsuit filed by a group of residents against Rutherford County contending the county failed to provide adequate public notice for the meeting when the ICM’s site plan received approval.

A federal judge's ruling enabled the mosque to receive its occupancy permit after the U.S. attorney argued that federal law required the county issue the certificate.

Fathy welcomed everyone Sunday and shared his gratitude with those who supported, not just the mosque's opening and the local Muslim community, but freedom of religion.

Attorney John Green, Father Joseph Breen of the Diocese of Nashville and the Rev. Bryan Brooks of Blackman United Methodist Church also shared remarks.

Imam Ossama Bahloul closed out the ceremony with a few words of gratitude to those who supported his congregation and its right to worship.

Daily News Journal, 18 November 2012

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A new message encouraging local residents to "Love Your Muslim Neighbors" is slated to go up on a South Church Street billboard by the end of the month.

The message is being placed on a billboard at 1015 S. Church St. by a self-described Washington, D.C.-based Christian advocacy and education organization called Sojourners, according to the group's communications director, Tim King.

King said the organization decided on Murfreesboro as a location after several residents living within a 100-mile radius of the city took notice of the group's message on a billboard in Joplin, Mo., and began calling for one to be placed here.

The billboard on which Sojourners placed its message in Joplin was just three blocks from where six people were shot dead outside a Sikh gurudwara.

King said the people who contacted the organization from the Murfreesboro area told Sojourners of the controversy that surrounded the building of a mosque here.

"I think the people from your area just saw the conflict and controversy and they wanted to put out a very different message," King said, adding that the message is that "Jesus said the greatest commandment is to 'love thy neighbor.'

"There were no other criteria or stipulations," King said.

King said Sojourners is an organization that "does not believe we all need to believe in the same thing to get along."

"Even when people believe in different things, they can live together in peace," he said.

The billboard is set to go up by Sept. 24.

The Tennessean, 15 September 2012

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The Islamic Center of Murfreesboro was granted a temporary 30-day certificate of occupancy Tuesday morning by officials with the Tennessee State Fire Marshal's Office.

Islamic Center leaders said they plan to apply for a local occupancy certificate Tuesday afternoon at the Rutherford County Building Codes Department. "We plan to submit the paperwork to (Rutherford) County this afternoon," said Essam Fathy, chairman of the board for the Islamic Center.

The fire marshal approved the temporary occupancy certificate after a few adjustments were made to the onsite sprinkler system, following an initial inspection Friday at the new mosque, located on Veals Road off Bradyville Pike.

"We are hoping to have our first prayer Friday inside the new building," said Islamic Center board member Saleh Sbenaty, an engineering professor at Middle Tennessee State University.

Islamic Center leaders said they are very pleased with the progress, noting the entire Muslim community is looking forward to being able to worship in the new mosque. "Our children are thrilled and ecstatic about the news," Sbenaty said.

Murfreesboro Post, 7 August 2012

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Islamic Center of Murfreesboro members will pass a field lined with 13 white crosses in front of Grace Baptist Church on Bradyville Pike on the way to their new mosque once it opens.

"It was more or less to make a statement to the Muslims about how we felt about our religion, our Christianity," said Mack Richards, a Middle Tennessee Baptist Church member who built the crosses at the request of Grace Baptist member and friend Bobby Francis. "We wanted them to see the crosses and know how we felt about things."

"That's what the church voted to do," said Francis, a member of Grace Baptist since the 1970s when it was on Dill Lane.

Grace Baptist moved into its current home of about 6,000 square feet two years ago and is currently served by interim pastor Dan Watts.

The Tennessean, 5 August 2012

Given that the Baptists suffered no hostile reaction when they moved to their own new premises, you might have thought they would be sensitive to the discrimination suffered by their Muslim neighbours. Indeed, two years ago Watts' predecessor as pastor, the long-serving Rev. Russell Richardson, took a public stand against the anti-mosque campaign ("If we infringe their freedom – we infringe our freedom") and the church organised a seminar in which a former missionary to Syria advised that Christians should always treat Muslims with respect. It would appear that the Grace Baptist congregation have now rejected that advice.

See also "Fight against Islam stretches beyond Murfreesboro mosque", The Tennessean, 5 August 2012

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Opponents of the Islamic Center of Murfreesboro filed a motion in federal court Monday claiming that U.S. District Judge Todd Campbell accepted "false allegations" in affirming that the controversial mosque can continue its opening process.

Attorney Joe Brandon, who has represented mosque opponents in the past, said he was vexed that federal courts intervened in a local case.

Brandon said the only way to properly conclude the dispute is to provide the public with adequate notice about the mosque, making mosque advocates restart the approval process.

The motion also questioned whether Islam qualified as a legitimate religion.

Brandon requested a hearing for the injunction sought.

The Tennessean, 30 July 2012

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First we would like to start by asking, how long will more than 1.5 billion Muslim around the world and not only in Tennessee or the United States suffer from irrational fear and hate?

Then we would like to answer the question about why is a huge Muslim compound going up where there are very few Muslims? Especially that in Spencer’s opinion the population of Muslims in America didn’t suddenly Spike and that they are not even close.

How is it that Spencer is so sure that there are very few Muslims in the area of the new Mosque specially that the United States Census Bureau didn’t use to ask about religious believes when conducting surveys and no one used to be sure or even know exactly how many persons of any religion or faith live in America or in any specific state, until recently the Census Bureau felt that there is a growing need to ask about religious believes in the surveys.

Do you know from where did this need come from? It is the stunning increase and an outstanding rate of growth of Muslims in America!

According to the latest U.S. Religion Census which is called 2010 report, the fastest growing religion in America is Islam.  The data for the census was compiled by the Association of Statisticians of American Religious Bodies.

From year 2000 to year 2010, the census found that the number of Muslims living inside the United States increased from 1 million to 2.6 million. This is an increase of 66.7 percent.

This reminds us of the statement of President Barack Obama when he once said that “we are no longer a Christian nation”.

Even if the number of Muslims in Tennessee remains unclear, everyone agrees that it’s rising, and fast. Since Islam is growing rapidly this leads to the need of building new mosques for worship.

Based on the previous can you still say that Muslims are Very Few in this specific region?

Now regarding the size of the mosque or the huge compound as Spencer believes:

A professor of Islamic Studies at the University of Kentucky, Ihsan Bagby, said once in one of his statements that all over the United States mega mosques are seen or being constructed. And these mega-mosques are not going unused.  In some areas of the country, Islamic communities are experiencing absolutely explosive growth.

Moreover, we would like to correct the misleading hidden messages given by Spencer concerning the following statement made by the Islamic Center of Murfreesboro:

‘’ The main focus is to insure that the Mosque strong holds on our community and to expand beyond religious teachings…we must work hard so that the ICM have a prominent role in the development and progression of not only of Murfreesboro but of Middle Tennessee’’

The Islamic Center of Murfreesboro here meant when saying ‘’expand beyond religious teaching’’ his aim to create a full-service prayer center and not only a mosque, but also outdoor sports fields, pavilions and playgrounds, educational facilities, a multi-purpose facility, a gym and a cemetery.

And the goal, according to the center’s website, is “to improve the practice, knowledge and understanding of Islam among all people and elevate the image of Islam” by providing “correct information from accredited sources about Islam.”

So the Islamic Center totally explained what is meant by expanding beyond religious teaching and didn’t leave any doubts about his intentions in order for Spencer to start inducing the readers to start reaching their own conclusions.

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No congregation should have its right of religious liberty curtailed solely because some of its neighbors disapprove of its religious beliefs.

In 2010, the Islamic Center of Murfreesboro sought to build a new mosque in Murfreesboro, Tennessee, where they could worship God in peace on their own property. Although it made every effort to reach out to its neighbors in friendship, the congregation was subjected to a campaign of protest and violence, including vandalism, a bomb threat, and even arson.

This campaign of violence was accompanied by a legal campaign in which the congregation's opponents claimed that the Muslim religion – one of the world's largest – was not really a religion, but a political movement seeking to impose "sharia" on the United States. As a result of the legal battle, a local judge has issued a ruling forbidding the congregation from entering its newly completed building. After years of following both the letter and the spirit of the law, the congregation is again seeking permission to use its building – this time in the hope that it will be permitted to do so before the start of Ramadan.

We, the undersigned, represent a diverse array of religious beliefs and have disagreements on a wide variety of theological, political, and social matters. But we are united in supporting the right of the Islamic Center of Murfreesboro to gather in peace on their own property for their celebration of Ramadan.

We deplore the vandalism, arson, and bomb threats directed at this congregation. No congregation of any religion should ever be the target of violence for any reason.

We recognize that the word "sharia" can be used in a wide variety of ways and can be the subject of vigorous debate within our political and religious communities. But shrill, sensationalist rhetoric about "sharia" should not be used as a pretext to deprive Muslims of their right under the United States Constitution to the free exercise of religion.

We emphatically support the right of the Islamic Center of Murfreesboro – on an equal basis with any other type of religious congregation – to build a house of worship in the City of Murfreesboro and to use its own property for religious exercise. We repeat: No congregation should have its right of religious liberty curtailed solely because some of its neighbors disapprove of its religious beliefs. Mosques must be respected and honored just as churches must be respected and honored.

Finally, we call on all Americans of good will to join us in supporting the religious liberty of the Islamic Center of Murfreesboro. When the liberty of one faith is abridged, the liberty of all faiths – and all citizens – is threatened. Therefore, we stand united in our dedication to the First Amendment, the Constitution, and the inalienable right of religious liberty for all.

Sincerely,

William P. Mumma
President
The Becket Fund for Religious Liberty

[And over 100 religious leaders from a wide variety of faith traditions.]

The Beckett Fund, 19 July 2012

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Sunday in Murfreesboro, people of all faiths gathered in support of a new Islamic center struggling to open on Veals Road.

A picnic at Barfield Crescent Park was meant to be a morale boost to the Muslim community who have seen protests and legal complications surround the controversial building of the mosque.

"I'm really happy if they donate money to help build the mosque because I really want to have a better mosque," said 10-year-old Lian Sader.

"The freedom of religion is the right of everyone in this country," added Zulfat Suara of the American Muslim Advisory Council. "I feel like that's something the people of Murfreesboro should be entitled to."

Speaking from Kingdom Ministries Worship Center, Pastor Darrel Whaley said he is part of a large opposition to the new mosque.

"I know that God loves the Muslims as much as he loves me," Whaley. "The problem is Islam and what Islam brings to a community. You can look all around the world and see what Islam has done and is doing."

WSMV, 9 July 2012

See also "Large crowd gathers for ICM picnic", Daily News Journal, 8 July 2012

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A Rutherford County judge is continuing to block a local mosque from receiving a certificate of occupancy.

Chancellor Robert Corlew issued the injunction last month after ruling that county officials did not provide sufficient public notice for the May 2010 meeting where the mosque's construction plans were approved.

The county has argued that it treated that meeting like any other and has appealed the ruling to the Tennessee Court of Appeals.

County attorneys on Monday told Corlew he should stay his injunction on the certificate of occupancy while the appeal is pending. Corlew declined to do so, saying that a stay would gut his decision that voided construction approval.

Construction of the new Islamic Center of Murfreesboro has been ongoing throughout the dispute and is nearly complete.

Associated Press, 2 July 2012

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U.S. Attorney Jerry E. Martin at press conferenceA federal grand jury on Thursday charged 24-year-old Texas resident Javier Alan Correa with violating the civil rights of members of a mosque in Murfreesboro, Tenn. mosque that has been the target of previous anti-Muslim attacks.

Correa is charged with "intentionally obstructing by threat of force the free exercise of religious beliefs and one count of using an instrument of interstate commerce to communicate a threat to destroy a building by means of an explosive device," the feds said in a press release.

Correa allegedly used a cell phone to call the Islamic Center of Murfreesboro and left a message saying there was going to be a bomb in the building on the 10th anniversay of the September 11 terrorist attacks. "Listen up you fucking Muslim bitches, go back to your fucking dirty fucking country, fucking Muslim fascists, get the fuck out of here," he allegedly stated.

"The controversy and criminal activity surrounding the construction of this particular place of worship has impeded the ability of people to exercise that most basic right," U.S. Attorney Jerry E. Martin of the Middle District of Tennessee said in a statement. "We will continue to monitor the progress of construction and legal proceedings at the local level to insure these citizens are able to enjoy all basic liberties guaranteed under the Constitution."

TPM, 21 June 2012

See also "Texas man indicted for threats against Murfreesboro mosque", News Channel 5, 21 June 2012

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The Rutherford County Commission voted 15-6 Thursday night to appeal a court ruling that voided approval of a mosque. "I just can't imagine an appellate court would agree we should discriminate," Commissioner Trey Gooch said before the vote.

County Attorney Jim Cope estimates that the legal fee cost to appeal will be in the $15,000 to $25,000 range. While waiting for the appeal to work its way through the courts, Chancellor Robert Corlew's Wednesday ruling banning the county from issuing a certificate of occupancy to the Islamic Center of Murfreesboro will stand unless it's overturned or he dissolves it, Cope added.

Commissioners took action in response to the recent court order from Corlew that made approval of the mosque void because the county government failed to provide adequate public notice before approving the Islamic Center of Murfreesboro's construction plans to build a mosque on Veals Road off Bradyville Pike.

The county's Regional Planning Commission, which voted to accept the ICM's long-term site plans for a 52,960-square-foot center, also voted 6-1 Monday to appeal Corlew's ruling.

Daily News Journal, 15 June 2012

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Christian and Muslim leaders came together to support the Murfreesboro Islamic community and imam Ossama Bahloul Sunday afternoon at The Village Church in East Nashville. "We just really wanted to reach out to him and to let him know that we cared about his community and him and that we would be praying with them," said Dr. Andrew Anyabwile, Village Church pastor.

On Tuesday, a Rutherford County judge nullified the permit to build a multimillion dollar Islamic center in Murfreesboro after ruling that not enough public notice was given before a planning commission meeting where the construction was approved.

"It seems like the Muslim community being singled out in this because we did follow the exact process of everyone else," said Ossama Bahloul, the Murfreesboro Islamic center imam. "If we respect our constitution, then we'll have no choice but to support each other because the freedom of religion is the core of our constitution."

While the congregation at the Village Church had a very vocal support for the imam's words, the Murfreesboro Islamic center still has plenty of opponents. "If they're this peaceful, loving religion, that they claim they are, they need to abide by the laws that all of us have to," said attorney Joe Brandon, who has been representing clients that oppose the construction of the Islamic center.

Brandon has voiced several controversial claims like the stance that Islam was not an actual religion, and the group is out to spread Sharia law. "Sharia law provides that their law dominates the law of Tennessee, the laws of all 50 states, the law of the U.S. constitution," Brandon said.

"It seems like this is a small group with a very vocal voice against the freedom of religion in Murfreesboro," Bahloul said. "But I am really optimistic because I know that what's right will prevail by the end." Bahloul said he hopes the Islamic center will open in July to celebrate the month of Ramadan.

WZTV, 4 June 2012

See also "Murfreesboro mosque ruling stirs confusion", The Tennessean, 3 June 2012

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A judge in Tennessee ruled Tuesday that the public wasn't properly notified about a meeting where local officials approved the plan for a proposed mosque, meaning construction of the disputed project will be stopped.

The new facility for the Islamic Center of Murfreesboro was one of several Muslim projects in the U.S. that hit a swell of conservative opposition around the same time as the controversy over a plan to build a Muslim community center near New York's ground zero.

Chancellor Robert Corlew noted that his ruling doesn't stop the Rutherford County Planning Commission from reconsidering the issue and again approving the site plan in the booming city of about 100,000 people southeast of Nashville.

Saleh Sbenaty, a spokesman for leaders of the mosque, said the ruling was disappointing but his group remains committed to building the Islamic center. They have been worshipping for many years at a smaller site in the community.

The opponents of the mosque have fought for two years to stop construction. During lengthy hearings in 2010, they presented testimony that in effect put Islam on trial. A string of witnesses questioned whether Islam is a legitimate religion and promoted a theory that American Muslims want to replace the Constitution with extremist Islamic law and the mosque was a part of that plot.

The judge dismissed those allegations but held a trial on the narrower claim that the public meeting law was violated because meeting notice wasn't adequate. The meeting notice was published in the Murfreesboro Post, a free weekly newspaper that claims distribution to 45,000 homes in the county of more than 250,000 people.

Associated Press, 29 May 2012

See "Judge rules nearly finished Tennessee mosque doesn't have permit", Reuters, 29 May 2012

Reuters quotes Joe Brandon, attorney for the group opposing the Islamic Center, as saying that if the nearly completed construction did not stop immediately his group would seek a court injunction. Brandon added: "This was a huge victory. This is the first time in the United States that the political entity of Islam has been stopped in its tracks."

See also "CAIR seeks DOJ action after TN judge stops mosque construction", CAIR press release, 29 May 2012

Update:  See "Ruling leaves Islamic Center of Murfreesboro in limbo", Daily News Journal, 29 May 2012

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Channel News 5 reports that former Saturday Night Live cast member Victoria Jackson arrived Tennessee this week in her capacity as a "citizen journalist" for the right-wing website the Patriot Update to highlight the threat posed by the Islamic Center of Murfreesboro.

Jackson explained: "I'm trying to use my fading SNL fame to shine a light on a topic that nobody in the media will talk about. ... I think this big Islamic center will be a breeding ground for terrorists. I mean, duh! I mean, this is the Bible Belt, and Murfreesboro is the buckle on the Bible Belt, and it's a college town, so my feeling is they came here to convert people to Islam."

To which Jack Silverman of the Nashville Scene replies: "They came here to convert people to Islam. Uh, Victoria, is trying to convert people to their religion a problem? Because in the 15 years I've lived in Nashville, I've had people try to convert me to Christianity somewhere in the area of 15 to 20 times. And the number of times Muslims have tried to convert me? Uh, let me think. Zero."

Silverman is also unimpressed by Jackson's announcement that she had interviewed Republican congressional candidate Lou Ann Zelenik, who she described as "an expert on Islam". Silverman observes that this is "like calling David Duke an expert on black people".

Nashville Scene, 17 April 2012

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