Showing posts with label center. Show all posts
Showing posts with label center. Show all posts

New Jersey: University investigating anti-Muslim graffiti in student center

on Saturday, February 9, 2013

Montclair State University is investigating a bias incident in which someone drew a picture of planes hitting the World Trade Center on the door of a Muslim student group's headquarters, campus officials said today.

The graffiti was found Monday outside the Office of the Muslim Student Association in the student center, said Suzanne Bronski, a campus spokeswoman.

"The university police immediately launched a full investigation, which is continuing, and the university's Bias Response Team was appropriately alerted and has been involved," university officials said in a statement.

NJ.com, 8 February 2013



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Islamic Center of Murfreesboro celebrates opening

on Monday, November 19, 2012

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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An expedition to the center (Part III)

on Friday, September 7, 2012

In the previous post we’ve seen that a sharp-point, being essential for piercing or penetrating, is also responsible for the appearance of a small entrance, that might explain why acies is able to name the pupil of the eye.
I’ll now introduce one other characteristic of the pupil that I think it’s importantits being stationed in the center of the iris… The noun center derives from Latin centrum, the stationary foot of the compass, around which the other is carried in making a circle – by metonymy, the middle point of a circle, the centre. This Latin word derived from Greek kentrum, any sharp point; of animals, sting of bees and wasps (just like Latin acumen as we’ve already seen…). The Latin centrum gave origin to centrosus, the central point, hence, in the most inward, internal place.
The Greek word that denotes the inmost point is akria, that could be used in relation to muelos (marrow), meaning the spinal marrow – that we’ve found in the second part of “On verses and signs congregated around the origin”, as being a part of the central nervous system, and the place to which is sent all information apprehended by the senses. From akria, other words derived, like akribhs, exact, accurate, precise; and akribwma, exact knowledge.
Let’s now see the marrow, conveyed by Latin medulla, also meaning the pith, inside, kernel, metaphorically used to denote the innermost, best part. In English, the central kernel of a nut or seed is named nucleus. In Latin, nucleus was basically a little nut, a sense that allowed other meanings to emerge, such as the hard, uneatable kernel, as well as the kernel, the inner part, inside of a thing. The verb that denotes the breaking of the shell is enucleo, a derivation from nucleus, figuratively meaning to lay open, make clear, explain, hence, clear, pure, unadulterated; and as a substantive, its plural form was the name for the essence, the condensed meaning. The Arabic root that alludes to the breaking of nuts, almonds, etc, and to the the pure, or best, part is لب (lb). We have already found it in the fourth part  of “On verses and signs congregated around the origin”, where I’ve said that because of its associating the edible heart of nuts, almond with understanding, the root is defining a certain “type of knowledge or understanding that has its origin on the capability of being able to look at the inside, at the center of something that is hidden – a notion that is rendered clear in English language through the noun insight, literally, a sight or view into the interior.”
In the second part of this article, I’ve suggested that “the motive why [such] a piercing is associated with acute vision probably has to do with the fact that whenever a hole is bored on a surface, light penetrates through, illuminating its interior. And this is, essentially, what is done, or allowed, by the pupil…” In fact, with noun punctum, we’ve seen how it went from denoting that which is pricked or pricked in, to designating a small hole. One synonym of hole is an opening – and Arabic language clearly states that the pupil is the gate, or door, of the eyes (بوب العين).
Let us now stop for a moment in order to understand what we’re talking about when we talk about an entrance, or aperture. First of all, dictionaries define aperture as being an opening, such as a hole, gap, or slit. But, what’s a fact is that we may get a whole different idea if we analyze Latin verb aperio (the source of aperture), that has more to do with the sense of to uncover, or lay bare, hence the meanings to unclose, open. You might think that this is an insignificant detail, as the English verb itself may also mean having no protecting or concealing cover, which implicitly alludes to the previous existence of a cover that has been removed… Anyway, if this is true, what’s also evident is that this particular meaning is referent to the idea of a protection that has been removed, whereas aperio is not alluding in any way to that cover being any sort of protection. In just the opposite way, the Latin verb points to the opening of an entrance to, and the fact that something is rendered accessible is what explains why, in relation to mental objects, it means to disclose something unknown, reveal, make known; and why it was used metaphorically as meaning clear, plain, evident, manifest, in opposition to that which is concealed, covered, dark. And, what’s more, the expression oculos aperire, that is, to open one’s eyes, is one other way of saying to make [someone] discern. These same relations are found in aperio‘s equivalent in Arabic. In fact, فتح (fth) not only means an opening and to open, but also made it to be unrestricted and to explain, inform.
The Arabic root for gate or door, بوب (bub) also means to make things to be divided into kinds, or sorts; and the division that is made according to distinct items, articles, or categories. It is important to say that this is the sort of orderly division that allows articles or items to be distributed under distinct heads – like what happens when one divides a book into chapters. So, this meaning lead us to the consideration of a disposing, an arranging of distinct elements according to classes or categories. The noun class defines a group whose elements share certain attributes, that is, specific traits that are only common to those elements. So, basically, the disposing of items to which بوب refers to, deals with the idea of an orderly arrangement whose criterion seems to be the attention paid to attributes that are only common to certain individuals – which may be considered side by side with aperio’s discernment.

In the next post, I will show you examples confirming that the inmost part, or center, is associated with a circle and fixedness…


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Temecula: Islamic Center groundbreaking set for September

on Wednesday, August 8, 2012

Ground will break for the Islamic Center of Temecula Valley in September, according to the construction committee chairman for the contested Muslim place of worship.

An exact date has not yet been set. Hadi Nael, spokesman for the center approved in December 2010, said the first phase of the $4.2 million project could be completed in 2013. The second and final phase could be done two years later, Nael said.

The 24,943-square-foot, two-story mosque on a 4.32-acre site on Nicolas Road will serve as the permanent place of worship for more than 100 local Muslim families who currently gather in a rented space in Murrieta.

The four-year approval process coincided with the approval of an Islamic center blocks away from Ground Zero in New York City, and protests over the approval of the local center earned Temecula a place in the post-9/11 spotlight focused on Islam.

The City Council in January 2011 denied an appeal of the Planning Commission’s approval of the center, paving the way for its construction. After the council's action, opponents of the project announced they would not go to court to try to block its construction.

Press-Enterprise, 7 August 2012

Mosque opponents protesting outside the Islamic Center of Temecula Valley in 2010



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Murfreesboro Islamic Center granted temporary occupancy permit

on Tuesday, August 7, 2012

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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Rabid Islamophobes unite: Michele Bachmann joins advisory board of Thomas More Law Center

on Sunday, August 5, 2012

U.S. Rep. Michele Bachmann, R-Minn., was named Thursday to the citizens advisory board of an Ann Arbor-based legal center that fights for conservative Christian causes.

The appointment of Bachmann, who dropped out of the presidential primary in January, brings another high-profile conservative to the Thomas More Law Center, which increasingly has focused on Islam in recent years. In May, the center named U.S. Rep. Allen West, R-Fla., whose views also have sparked controversy, to the advisory board.

"I am pleased to join forces with the Thomas More Law Center," Bachmann said Thursday. "They are in the courts aggressively fighting the internal threat to America posed by radical Islam."

Richard Thompson, the center's president and chief counsel, said that Bachmann "puts country before politics."

"She understands the threat of radical Islam," Thompson said. "We share her concerns regarding the stealth jihad that's being perpetrated against the United States."

Dawud Walid, director of the Michigan branch of the Council on American-Islamic Relations, said that Bachmann is a "perfect fit" for the board. "Since Michigan has been a target of nationwide of anti-Islam campaigns, it makes sense that Bachmann would join a Michigan-based group ... openly hostile to the Islamic faith."

Detroit Free Press, 4 August 2012

The Thomas More Law Center has acted on behalf of mad Pamela Geller and Qur'an-burning pastor Terry Jones, whose loopy views it entirely shares.

In an interview with WorldNetDaily earlier this year Richard Thompson stated: "Islam is more than a religion. It is a political ideology that regulates every aspect of human existence and calls for the Islamic domination of the world. Since radical Muslims know they can never defeat our military on the battlefield, they devised the strategy of internal subversion."

He added: "Like the ancient Trojan Horse welcomed within the city's gates, Islam has entered America disguised as a religion. But its ultimate objective is political: Destroy America and establish an Islamic nation under Shariah law. So while America sleeps, they are awake and subverting our government, as well as our public schools and universities. And we will not be deterred from our efforts to stop them."

See also Alex Seitz-Wald, "Keith Ellison slams Bachmann's 'galling' witch hunt", Salon, 4 August 2012



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An expedition to the center (Part I)

on Thursday, August 2, 2012

An expedition to the center

When I was finishing my article “On verses and signs congregated around the origin”, I’ve noticed one very interesting detail in the Arabic root conveying the meaning ayat, the word used in the Qur’an to both name its verses and the signs of God: the fact that اى is formed by the first and last letters of Arabic alphabet. In my native language, the word az is formed in just the same way: that is, with the first and last letters, of Portuguese alphabet. And this apparently minute detail sparked the most curious of expeditions…

The first meaning of the word az denotes the blade, the flat cutting part of a sharpened weapon or tool. This word derived from Latin acies, a sharp edge or point (of a sword, dagger, etc), probably originating in Greek akh, point, and akhis, pointed object. From this notion of a sharp edge or point, the word came to be used to name both the army drawn up in order of battle, and, in relation to the sense or faculty of vision, sharpness of vision or sight. If you have read “On verses and signs congregated around the origin”, you’ll immediately notice that it is as tough I’m following the same track… In fact, in that article, I think that one of the things that catches the attention is the seeing how verses and signs seem to be an intrinsic part of what I would call a military complex, that was even able to embrace concepts referent to the nature of languages, as I’ve shown in the last part LINK of the previously mentioned article.
Let us go back to acies, that has one other surprise for us: the denoting the pupil of the eye. The pupil is a round, black hole in the center of the iris. Its colour originates in the lack of light in the internal part of the eye, that can only hope to receive it through the pupil, that acts as an entrance allowing light to enter. In other species, pupils are vertical slits, like in cats, whereas goats, for instance, have horizontal pupils. This difference of shape serves distinct purposes in each of the species. In the case of human beings, the round shape of our pupil is what allows both peripheral vision and concentration on a single point. It is interesting to point out that peripheral vision is a term that defines itself by opposition to central vision, which clearly denounces the greater importance given to the later. Basically, peripheral vision is the one occurring outside the central point to which eyes gaze at. This type of vision is weaker in humans when compared with other species, and this is simply because receptor cells on our retinas are located in a greater number at the center. So, basically, human eyes’ ability to focus on a central point is what sets us apart from all other species in what vision is concerned. Furthermore, this same feature is at the very base of such notions as aiming towards a goal, with aiming meaning both to direct (a weapon) toward an intended target and a purpose or intention toward which one’s efforts are directed. That such a feat is based on a specific feature of the pupil, its shape to be accurate, is not insignificant, as I will try to evidence in this article.
So, till now, and because of its derivation from acies, Portuguese word az showed us that the cutting part of weapons or tools is associated with sharp point, which was used figuratively to describe a certain type of vision: both cutting and piercing, which is rendered possible by the pupil of the eye… In the next post I will try to clarify this interconnection a bit more.

Mosque opponents file federal motion to stop Islamic Center of Murfreesboro

on Wednesday, August 1, 2012

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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Frank Gaffney and the Center for Security Policy

on Sunday, July 22, 2012

"Gaffney has turned up so many 'Muslim infiltrators' in government or civic positions that it is difficult to keep track. If a Muslim runs for political office, or even wants to get involved in their local community, or establish any sort of institution, whether they are a Republican or a Democrat, outrageous charges of 'creeping Sharia prononent',  'stealth jihadist', 'Muslim Brotherhood plant', etc. are made by Islamophobes."

Sheila Musaji examines the record of the man who inspired Michel Bachmann's Muslim Brotherhood conspiracy theory.

The American Muslim, 21 July 2012



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Becket Fund publishes open letter defending Murfreesboro Islamic Center

on Friday, July 20, 2012

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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Picnic held to support Islamic Center of Murfreesboro

on Monday, July 9, 2012

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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Rutherford County Commission votes to appeal public notice ruling on Murfreesboro Islamic Center

on Saturday, June 16, 2012

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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Minnesota: city council rejects Islamic center plan

on Wednesday, June 13, 2012

St. Anthony City Council members on Tuesday rejected plans to locate an Islamic center in the basement of the former Medtronic headquarters off Old Hwy. 8.

The proposed Abu-Huraira Islamic Center had been on hold for months after some residents objected to the center and city leaders studied whether city zoning would support the facility.

About 150 people attended Tuesday's council meeting, where Muslim proponents asked the council to approve the nearly 15,000-square-foot center, which would be used for worship and assembly by the congregation of about 200.

"I'm a proud American. This is home. The center will serve the needs of our community," Sadik Warfa said. "I know this issue is very emotional for some people. We are a melting pot. We are all Americans."

Close to a dozen St. Anthony residents asked the council to deny the proposal, which they argued would reduce tax revenues, an argument Mayor Jerry Faust denied. Others contended the center would attract increased traffic in the neighborhood and create problems for those living nearby.

Some who spoke against the center made disparaging comments about the Muslim faith, although Faust tried to discourage such remarks. "Islam is evil. There's no other religion in the world that endorses violence," said John Murlowski, before Faust cut him off.

Supporters of the center expressed disappointment following the 4-1 decision.

Ali Garushi, a spokesman for the Islamic center, said Muslim leaders will convene in the coming days and will consider filing suit to challenge the council's action. "It's discrimination against Muslims," Garushi said. "This is a dirty war they've been doing."

Lori Saroya, executive director of the Minnesota chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations, said the decision "sends a message they [St. Anthony leaders] don't support freedom of religion and they don't support individuals' rights to build a place of worship."

She said her group plans to ask the U.S. Department of Justice to investigate, noting that the department has launched an investigation into 28 cases nationwide involving local denials of mosque construction applications.

Star Tribune, 13 June 2012



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Church shows support for Murfreesboro Islamic Center

on Monday, June 4, 2012

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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Islamic Center of Murfreesboro: judge says construction can proceed

on Saturday, June 2, 2012

Construction of a controversial mosque in Murfreesboro can continue. Earlier this week a judge said county commissioners did not give proper notice before approving the new Islamic Center of Murfreesboro. But a new court order out today says it does not mean work has to stop on the new mosque.

The suburban mosque first came under fire two years ago, around the same time as the uproar over the so-called "Ground Zero Mosque" in New York City. Opponents tried to draw connections between the Murfreesboro mosque and terrorism, and argued Islam is not a constitutionally protected religion.

The judge threw out that argument, but voided the county’s approval of the mosque under the state’s Open Meetings Act. The order out today (pdf) includes a footnote, saying it does not mean construction has to stop. It says such an order would have to be taken up separately. Meanwhile, the mosque's first phase of construction is set to finish in July.

Nashville Public Radio, 1 June 2012



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Judge's ruling halts construction of Murfreesboro Islamic Center

on Wednesday, May 30, 2012

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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Islamic center in Maryland hit by hate crime

on Friday, April 27, 2012

An Islamic community center in Riverview was vandalized in an act that Baltimore County police have classified as a hate crime.

According to police, between 7:30 p.m. on April 20 and noon the following day, someone tossed a rock through a rear window of the Bab E Mustafa Community Center on the 4300 block of Hollins Ferry Road. No other businesses or buildings were damaged in the incident, police said.

The community center includes a mosque where daily prayers are held, as well as a child care center. According to former Imam Raja Khan, the community center has been located in Riverview for more than two years and primarily serves Muslims of Indian and Pakistani origin.

Members of the community center report being routinely taunted by juveniles in the neighborhood, according to police.

Arbutus Patch, 25 April 2012

See also "FBI asked to investigate possible Islamic center hate crime", Arbutus Patch, 26 April 2012

And CAIR press release, 26 April 2012



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