3 10 29 https://usmc.oxomeka.org/files/original/60e0107313bb87f9b71c9cc2a7fc858f.jpeg 2231cf8ba2339d99ff75a2ffd1be21e5 Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived <a href="https://images.findagrave.com/photos/2018/219/CEM2670582_ac4dca02-f83b-495f-af2f-964f53cb0c42.jpeg">https://images.findagrave.com/photos/2018/219/CEM2670582_ac4dca02-f83b-495f-af2f-964f53cb0c42.jpeg</a> Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Description An account of the resource This collection documents 29 cases of public opposition towards American Muslim cemetery building projects from 2002 to 2023. Each case contains a narrative that describes its events, which was compiled through analyzing newspaper archives via NewsBank and NexisUni. The primary challenge American Muslim communities face when establishing cemeteries is obtaining administrative approval from an entity such as a city council or board of commissioners. Residents' concerns related to groundwater contamination, lowered property values, and aesthetics often pressure authorities to deny cemetery projects. These reasons for opposition differ from those involving mosques, which tend to focus on increased traffic, violations of noise ordinances, and the potential for terrorism. This collection is more comprehensive than other compilations of cemetery cases, which cover a limited timeframe, are no longer current, or need to be updated (e.g., Pew Research Center 2012, Younes 2017, ACLU 2017, New America 2018, HuffPost 2024). However, it does not fully represent all controversies surrounding American Muslim cemeteries, as it focuses on post-2000 cases and does not include cases of vandalism against established cemeteries. Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Ryan Wang Title A name given to the resource Cemeteries Language A language of the resource English Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Oxford College of Emory University Contributor An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource Current and former Oxford College of Emory University students: Sofia Fonti, Ben Damon, Geneva Cunningham, Ameer Alnasser, Nadira Hassan, Chloe Peyrebrune, Lauren Yee, Ammarah Ahmed, Alexander Cleveland, Ehren Fernandez, Andres Lebed Wright, Bryce Bentinck, Rahim Khan Alidina, Ayman Badawy, George Drakos, Shahmeer Khan, and Snehitha Vardhineni. Project supervisor: Dr. Florian Pohl Case Use this Item Type to create the case Item Pages for the U.S. Mosque Controversies site. Case Number Enter the case number in this field using the format: Case No. XX_00 (e.g. Case No. Ga_01) Ga_08 Location The location of the interview Powder Springs, GA Date July 2016 Address Enter the full address, if it is available. 2376 John Petree Rd, Powder Springs, GA 30127 Proposed Project The East Cobb Islamic Center purchased thirteen acres in the western Atlanta metro area to build a cemetery with up to 10,000 plots. Proposed By List the entity (legal entity or community name) that proposed the project. <a href="http://ec-ic.org/">East Cobb Islamic Center</a> Year Year the case began. 2016 Plus Code Enter the plus code for the location, if it is available. V9W2+GP Powder Springs, Georgia, USA Outcome Rejected, Approved, Approved with Modifications ECIC’s proposal met Cobb County’s minimum requirements and was approved. It did not require a public hearing or vote by the Board of Commissioners. The subsequently issued moratorium on cemetery permits did not retroactively apply to ECIC’s project. Narrative Enter the narrative about the case here. In May of 2015, the East Cobb Islamic Center (ECIC) purchased a thirteen-acre plot near Macland Road to construct the first Muslim cemetery in the western Atlanta metropolitan area. The land was purchased for $335,000 with local partner mosques and community donations (Amer, 2016, Jun 30). In April 2016, Cobb County’s Community Development Agency granted ECIC a Special Exemption certificate for its cemetery project. Because it met the County’s minimum requirements, including a size of at least ten acres and an approved parking and landscaping plan. The proposal did not require a public hearing or vote by the Board of Commissioners (Santos, 2016, Jul 7). After construction of the cemetery began, homeowners in the Vineyard Place subdivision and others adjoining the cemetery attended Cobb County hearings to oppose the project, citing the depreciation of property values, a lack of input in the cemetery’s approval process, and concerns about Islamic burial practices (Santos, 2016, Jul 7). In August 2016, the Cobb County Board of Commissioners voted to issue a moratorium on new cemetery projects in the county until April 2017. Community Development Director Dana Johnson stated, “During the time of this moratorium, staff will be researching national best practices as it relates to the regulation of cemetery uses, as well as looking at some local examples here in metro Atlanta” (Lutz, 2016, July 12). The East Cobb Islamic Center Cemetery was not retroactively affected by the moratorium and began operating in 2018. References <ul> <li style="font-weight:400;">Amer, A. K. (2016, June 30). The largest Muslim cemetery in Georgia is approved in Cobb County. AtlantaMuslim.com. <a href="http://www.atlantamuslim.com/2016/jun/30/new-muslim-cemetary/">Web</a>.</li> <li style="font-weight:400;">Lutz, M. (2016, July 12). Concern over Muslim cemetery leads to moratorium in Cobb. The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. <a href="http://www.ajc.com/news/local-govt--politics/concern-over-muslim-cemetery-leads-moratorium-cobb/hEK2ZE4gN8CwNQH1xMjCMK/">Web</a>.</li> <li style="font-weight:400;">Santos, A. (2016, July 7). Cobb County cemetery sparks debate over permits. The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. <a href="http://www.ajc.com/news/local/cobb-county-cemetery-sparks-debate-over-permits/JGtb1Brc36LmIWz1My1wQO/">Web</a>.</li> </ul> Type of Opposition Public Campaign, Vandalism, Legal Action, Local Ordinance Public Campaign, Legislation (moratorium) Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Cobb County, GA Description An account of the resource In April 2016, the East Cobb Islamic Center (ECIC) received a special-use permit to build its cemetery. However, after construction began, Cobb County residents opposed the project at public hearings. Opponents cited adverse effects on property values, lack of public input and oversight in the permitting process, and concerns over the health impact of Muslim burial practices. The Board of Commissioners voted unanimously to place a moratorium on new cemetery permits until April 1, 2017. However, this moratorium did not apply retroactively to ECIC’s previously approved cemetery. Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Geneva Cunningham Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Oxford College of Emory University Approved Built Cemetery Legislation Public Campaign https://usmc.oxomeka.org/files/original/aa630652fb5c15daf8f2a24f2dd98bc2.jpeg 8de8bddbce46b2ea2eb4ef600e22c3dc Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Description An account of the resource This collection documents 29 cases of public opposition towards American Muslim cemetery building projects from 2002 to 2023. Each case contains a narrative that describes its events, which was compiled through analyzing newspaper archives via NewsBank and NexisUni. The primary challenge American Muslim communities face when establishing cemeteries is obtaining administrative approval from an entity such as a city council or board of commissioners. Residents' concerns related to groundwater contamination, lowered property values, and aesthetics often pressure authorities to deny cemetery projects. These reasons for opposition differ from those involving mosques, which tend to focus on increased traffic, violations of noise ordinances, and the potential for terrorism. This collection is more comprehensive than other compilations of cemetery cases, which cover a limited timeframe, are no longer current, or need to be updated (e.g., Pew Research Center 2012, Younes 2017, ACLU 2017, New America 2018, HuffPost 2024). However, it does not fully represent all controversies surrounding American Muslim cemeteries, as it focuses on post-2000 cases and does not include cases of vandalism against established cemeteries. Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Ryan Wang Title A name given to the resource Cemeteries Language A language of the resource English Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Oxford College of Emory University Contributor An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource Current and former Oxford College of Emory University students: Sofia Fonti, Ben Damon, Geneva Cunningham, Ameer Alnasser, Nadira Hassan, Chloe Peyrebrune, Lauren Yee, Ammarah Ahmed, Alexander Cleveland, Ehren Fernandez, Andres Lebed Wright, Bryce Bentinck, Rahim Khan Alidina, Ayman Badawy, George Drakos, Shahmeer Khan, and Snehitha Vardhineni. Project supervisor: Dr. Florian Pohl Case Use this Item Type to create the case Item Pages for the U.S. Mosque Controversies site. Case Number Enter the case number in this field using the format: Case No. XX_00 (e.g. Case No. Ga_01) Case No. Ga_07 Location The location of the interview Gwinnett County, GA Date August-October 2015 Address Enter the full address, if it is available. 3362 Skyland Drive, Loganville, GA 30052 Proposed Project The Community of Bosniaks Georgia attempted to build a cemetery on a 12.59-acre plot zoned for single-family residences. Although the site met zoning requirements for a place of worship, cemetery use required a special use permit. The proposed cemetery project consisted of a 4,000 square-foot worship facility, 2,050 burial plots, and a parking lot. Proposed By List the entity (legal entity or community name) that proposed the project. <a href="https://zbga.org/">Community of Bosniaks, Georgia</a> Year Year the case began. 2015 Plus Code Enter the plus code for the location, if it is available. R2M7+P4 Loganville, Georgia Type of Opposition Public Campaign, Vandalism, Legal Action, Local Ordinance Public Speech, Public Campaign, Administrative Denial Outcome Rejected, Approved, Approved with Modifications The Board of Commissioners voted unanimously to deny the petition, and the Muslim community decided not to appeal but to look for a different property. County staff and the planning commission had recommended approval with conditions, such as dropping the number of plots from the proposed 2,050 to 500. Narrative Enter the narrative about the case here. Narrative In October 2015, the Gwinnett County Board of Commissioners denied a special use permit to the Community for Bosniaks Georgia for a cemetery development in a sparsely-populated suburban community near Snellville, GA. The Community of Bosniaks sought the cemetery for members of the organization, which predominantly includes Muslim Bosnian immigrants that settled in Gwinnett County following the Balkan Wars (Poole, 2006, May 24). The 12.59-acre cemetery project, which would have accommodated 2,050 burial plots and a 4,000 square-foot worship facility for funeral services, would have been the first Bosnian cemetery in the Atlanta metropolitan area. The site met zoning requirements for a place of worship, but cemetery use required a special use permit. Although the county’s Planning Department and the Planning Commission had recommended approval, the Gwinnett County Board of Commissions denied the permit on October 27, following a month-long citizen-led campaign against the cemetery. The Community for Bosniaks did not appeal the rejection, opting instead to search for a different property. Public opposition emerged early in the review process. County officials fielded phone calls and emails urging them to reject the project. Homes surrounding the lot had bright red yard signs, “Save our community, no cemetery.” Facebook comments raised suspicion of “these types of people in our community” (Kass, 2015, Oct 27). Public opposition continued at the October 6 Planning Commission meeting, drawing a standing-room-only crowd. A Norcross resident, Joe Newton, circulated a petition “in opposition to the mosque” (Yeomans, 2015, Oct 6). Residents voiced concerns about increased traffic burden, noise complaints, and an expected decrease in property values. They cited the conclusions of a hired real estate appraiser estimating the depreciation in property value at 6-38 percent (ibid.). Members of the Community of Bosniaks addressed the concerns at the meeting. Ultimately, the Planning Commission followed the Planning Department and recommended the Gwinnett County Board of Commissioners approve the special use permit with conditions. Those conditions included a maximum of 500 burial plots, a minimum distance of 150 feet between graves and the property line, and the use of the worship facility exclusively for funeral services (ibid.). Despite the Planning Commission’s recommendation for approval, the Gwinnett County Board of Commissioners denied the petition. At its public meeting on October 27, the Commission voted unanimously to reject the cemetery application without providing an official explanation for the denial. One committee member subsequently cited last-minute changes by the applicant as reasons (Kauffman, 2015, Oct 28). Despite their disappointment, the Community of Bosniaks stated they did not intend to appeal the decision but planned to look elsewhere for a suitable cemetery property (Kass, 2015, Oct 28). The cemetery project continued to be a point of debate in Snellville’s mayoral and city council elections in November 2015. References <ul><li>Kass, A. (2015, October 28). Bosnian leader says he won't challenge Gwinnett cemetery denial. The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. Available from NewsBank: Access World News – Historical and Current: https://infoweb-newsbank-com.proxy.library.emory.edu/apps/news/document-view?p=WORLDNEWS&docref=news/158C784EDC727880.</li> <li>Kass, A. (2015, October 27). Muslims seek rezoning for cemetery: Gwinnett commission expected to decide on contentious issue. The Atlanta Journal-Constitution, p. B1. Available from NewsBank: Access World News – Historical and Current: https://infoweb-newsbank-com.proxy.library.emory.edu/apps/news/document-view?p=WORLDNEWS&docref=news/158BCA2D87660330.</li> <li>Kauffman, J. (2015, Oct 28). Gwinnett denies group’s bid for mostly Muslim cemetery. WABE News. Available at https://www.wabe.org/gwinnett-denies-group-s-bid-mostly-muslim-cemetery.</li> <li>Poole, S. M. (2006, May 24). Building on faith: Muslims will worship, grow in new mosques. The Atlanta Journal-Constitution, p. F1. Available from NewsBank: Access World News – Historical and Current: https://infoweb-newsbank-com.proxy.library.emory.edu/apps/news/document-view?p=WORLDNEWS&docref=news/111D0362B42A41B0.</li> <li>Yeomans, C. (2015, October 6). Planning commissioners OK Bosnian cemetery over community objections. Gwinnett Daily Post. Available from NewsBank: Access World News – Historical and Current: https://infoweb-newsbank-com.proxy.library.emory.edu/apps/news/document-view?p=WORLDNEWS&docref=news/1585411960AB6740.</li> </ul> Last Updated Date revised. April 12, 2022 Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Snellville, GA Description An account of the resource Following public protest in 2015, the Gwinnett County Commission votes unanimously to deny the Community of Bosniaks’ petition for a cemetery. The Community of Bosniaks declined to appeal the denial, although the county’s staff review and planning commission had recommended approval with conditions. Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Geneva Cunningham, Ben Damon, and Sofia Fonti Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Oxford College of Emory University Cemetery Denied Not Built Planning and Zoning Public Campaign Public Speech https://usmc.oxomeka.org/files/original/de9cc84bf32c2e3b3ed022e423ba582a.JPG 770c3449b20238bba1477dc8acda6acb Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived <a href="https://goo.gl/maps/1F4Vr4vkXenMA5T79">https://goo.gl/maps/1F4Vr4vkXenMA5T79</a> Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Description An account of the resource This collection documents 29 cases of public opposition towards American Muslim cemetery building projects from 2002 to 2023. Each case contains a narrative that describes its events, which was compiled through analyzing newspaper archives via NewsBank and NexisUni. The primary challenge American Muslim communities face when establishing cemeteries is obtaining administrative approval from an entity such as a city council or board of commissioners. Residents' concerns related to groundwater contamination, lowered property values, and aesthetics often pressure authorities to deny cemetery projects. These reasons for opposition differ from those involving mosques, which tend to focus on increased traffic, violations of noise ordinances, and the potential for terrorism. This collection is more comprehensive than other compilations of cemetery cases, which cover a limited timeframe, are no longer current, or need to be updated (e.g., Pew Research Center 2012, Younes 2017, ACLU 2017, New America 2018, HuffPost 2024). However, it does not fully represent all controversies surrounding American Muslim cemeteries, as it focuses on post-2000 cases and does not include cases of vandalism against established cemeteries. Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Ryan Wang Title A name given to the resource Cemeteries Language A language of the resource English Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Oxford College of Emory University Contributor An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource Current and former Oxford College of Emory University students: Sofia Fonti, Ben Damon, Geneva Cunningham, Ameer Alnasser, Nadira Hassan, Chloe Peyrebrune, Lauren Yee, Ammarah Ahmed, Alexander Cleveland, Ehren Fernandez, Andres Lebed Wright, Bryce Bentinck, Rahim Khan Alidina, Ayman Badawy, George Drakos, Shahmeer Khan, and Snehitha Vardhineni. Project supervisor: Dr. Florian Pohl Case Use this Item Type to create the case Item Pages for the U.S. Mosque Controversies site. Case Number Enter the case number in this field using the format: Case No. XX_00 (e.g. Case No. Ga_01) Ga_01 Location The location of the interview Lawrenceville, GA Date 2002 Address Enter the full address, if it is available. 1849 New Hope Rd, Lawrenceville, GA 30045 Proposed Project The Georgia Institute of Religious Sciences sought a special use permit to rezone 5 acres of land for a 1,500-plot cemetery off of New Hope Road about 3.5 miles away from their mosque in Lawrenceville, GA. Proposed By List the entity (legal entity or community name) that proposed the project. <a href="http://www.georgiaislamicinstitute.com/">Georgia Islamic Institute of Religious & Social Sciences</a> Year Year the case began. 2002 Narrative Enter the narrative about the case here. In September 2001, the Georgia Islamic Institute of Religious and Social Sciences (GIIRS) requested a special-use permit for a five-acre cemetery project called the New Hope Cemetery on land zoned residential, about 3.5 miles from its mosque in Lawrenceville, GA. At the time, there was only one other Muslim cemetery in the Atlanta area, and GIIRS needed a space to bury its loved ones. Although a mosque and an educational center had been built by GIIRS without opposition, the aftermath of the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks resulted in several public hearing delays (Nurse, 2001, Jun 20). On September 18, the case was slated for review, and five months later, in late February of 2002, the New Hope cemetery was approved unanimously (Ga. Officials OK, 2002, Feb 26). To mediate conflict between GIIRS and opponents of the cemetery, the Gwinnett County Board of Commissioners called for certain conditions: digging a groundwater monitoring well, installing an 8-foot-high wooden fence along the adjacent neighborhood, creating a permanent maintenance fund, and using wooden caskets and stone or metallic markers (Feagans, 2002, Feb 27). The property in Lawrenceville sits on New Hope Road—a piece of land zoned residential that required a special-use permit to construct a cemetery with 1,500 burial plots. At the public hearings, local community members voiced concerns about Muslim burial practices, citing worries about groundwater contamination and the overall appearance of the cemetery (Nurse, 2001, Jul 20). Comparisons were frequently made between the planned cemetery in Lawrenceville and the existing Muslim cemetery in Lovejoy, GA, which contained pre-dug holes and several collapsed graves (Feagans, 2002, Feb 26). In response, Dr. Hafiz A. Ghaffar Khan, the president of GIIRS, stated, “There can be some cemeteries here, Christian cemeteries, that aren’t very well maintained. We shouldn’t blame one for the actions of another” (ibid.). Despite the residents’ concerns, the Gwinnett County Board of Commissioners approved the special-use permit unanimously, 4-0. However, it decreased the size of the cemetery to 1,276 plots and attached more than twenty zoning conditions to its approval. Community members remained dissatisfied with these changes, as they had requested a brick wall and the use of body bags. One neighboring resident stated, “It’s disgusting. That wooden fence is going to fall down eventually” (Feagans, 2002, Feb 27). By contrast, Khan reported his happiness with the Board’s decision, promising to hire a groundskeeper, prohibit graves within 110 feet of the Grayson Oaks subdivision, and “follow every restriction” (ibid.). New Hope Cemetery has been operational since January 2004. In 2019, faced with the New Hope Cemetery reaching full capacity and unable to accommodate future burials, GIIRS sought a special use permit for a ten-acre cemetery in Bethlehem, GA, with a capacity of up to 7,827 graves (Yeomans, 2019, Jan 1). This situation echoed the controversy in 2004, underscoring ongoing challenges in managing burial spaces. The Gwinnett County Planning Commission recommended approval of the new cemetery with certain conditions, such as restricted hours of operation, fencing, and a landscaped buffer (ibid.). However, due to concerns over groundwater contamination, the Board of Commissioners deferred GIIRS's request until March 5, 2019, from its initial consideration on February 6, 2019 (Yeomans, 2019, Feb 26). Despite these hurdles, the New Muslim Cemetery was eventually approved and has been operational since August 2020. References <ul> <li style="font-weight:400;">Feagans, B. (2002, February 26). For Lovejoy, Islamic graves, and furor, are no big deal. The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. Available from <a href="https://advance-lexis-com.proxy.library.emory.edu/api/document?collection=news&id=urn:contentItem:4579-PTV0-0026-G0BK-00000-00&context=1516831">NexisUni</a>.</li> <li style="font-weight:400;">Feagans, B. (2002, February 27). Muslim burial ground OK’d, but Gwinnett tacks on limits. The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. Available from <a href="https://advance-lexis-com.proxy.library.emory.edu/api/document?collection=news&id=urn:contentItem:457H-P000-0026-G0KC-00000-00&context=1516831">NexisUni</a>.</li> <li style="font-weight:400;">(2002, February 26). Ga. Officials OK Islam Cemetery. The Associated Press. Available from <a href="https://advance-lexis-com.proxy.library.emory.edu/api/document?collection=news&id=urn:contentItem:457H-4BD0-00BT-N40V-00000-00&context=1516831">NexisUni</a>.</li> <li style="font-weight:400;">Nurse, D. (2001, June 20). Planners OK higher-density subdivision; cemetery on hold. The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. Available from <a href="https://advance-lexis-com.proxy.library.emory.edu/api/document?collection=news&id=urn:contentItem:439T-0G90-0026-G00P-00000-00&context=1516831">NexisUni</a>.</li> <li style="font-weight:400;">Nurse, D. (2001, July 20). Soil test results “mixed” at Muslim cemetery site; Neighbors still apprehensive. The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. Available from <a href="https://advance-lexis-com.proxy.library.emory.edu/api/document?collection=news&id=urn:contentItem:43J6-90J0-0026-G06W-00000-00&context=1516831">NexisUni</a>.</li> <li style="font-weight:400;">Yeomans, C. (2019, January 1). Islamic group seeking. Gwinnett Daily Post. <a href="https://www.gwinnettdailypost.com/local/islamic-group-seeking-permission-for-cemetery-in-eastern-gwinnett/article_e35a787b-ff54-5a39-9bf5-27d201e44cf9.html">Web</a>. </li> <li style="font-weight:400;">Yeomans, C. (2019, February 26). Gwinnett commissioners table decision on Islamic cemetery near Bethlehem. Gwinnett Daily Post. <a href="https://www.gwinnettdailypost.com/local/gwinnett-commissioners-table-decision-on-islamic-cemetery-near-bethlehem/article_238be203-8f92-577f-a884-5cc27ba70e48.html">Web</a>.</li> </ul> Plus Code Enter the plus code for the location, if it is available. W3CM+VR Lawrenceville, Georgia, USA Outcome Rejected, Approved, Approved with Modifications After five months of planning commission delays, the Islamic Institute of Religious and Social Sciences was granted a special use permit for the New Hope Cemetery with conditions. These included reducing the number of plots from 1,500 to 1,276, inserting a groundwater monitoring well, installing an eight-foot-high wooden fence, paying a minimum of $5,000 for land maintenance, and creating a $5,000 fund for the cemetery’s landscaping fees. Type of Opposition Public Campaign, Vandalism, Legal Action, Local Ordinance Public Campaign Last Updated Date revised. June 11, 2024 Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Gwinnett County, GA Description An account of the resource In February 2002, the Gwinnett County Municipal Planning Commission unanimously approved a request for a special-use permit by the Georgia Islamic Institute of Religious and Social Sciences (GIIRS) to construct a five-acre cemetery on New Hope Road in Lawrenceville. However, residents' opposition delayed the planning commission's vote multiple times. The project was approved with conditions requiring the Muslim community to reduce the number of burial plots from 1,500 to 1,276, install an eight-foot-tall wooden fence, use wooden caskets for burial and stone or metal grave markers, and establish a maintenance fund. Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Geneva Cunningham Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Oxford College of Emory University Approved Built Cemetery Public Campaign https://usmc.oxomeka.org/files/original/8892ed314591cf46f0e402c54ef4cb12.png e835a64985b11c7de00a2fdde65feafd Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived https://www.insidenova.com/headlines/muslim-group-sues-stafford-county-for-blocking-construction-of-religious-cemetery/article_7d6bfc7e-a9a6-11ea-b458-f3ff552df8a7.html Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Description An account of the resource This collection documents 29 cases of public opposition towards American Muslim cemetery building projects from 2002 to 2023. Each case contains a narrative that describes its events, which was compiled through analyzing newspaper archives via NewsBank and NexisUni. The primary challenge American Muslim communities face when establishing cemeteries is obtaining administrative approval from an entity such as a city council or board of commissioners. Residents' concerns related to groundwater contamination, lowered property values, and aesthetics often pressure authorities to deny cemetery projects. These reasons for opposition differ from those involving mosques, which tend to focus on increased traffic, violations of noise ordinances, and the potential for terrorism. This collection is more comprehensive than other compilations of cemetery cases, which cover a limited timeframe, are no longer current, or need to be updated (e.g., Pew Research Center 2012, Younes 2017, ACLU 2017, New America 2018, HuffPost 2024). However, it does not fully represent all controversies surrounding American Muslim cemeteries, as it focuses on post-2000 cases and does not include cases of vandalism against established cemeteries. Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Ryan Wang Title A name given to the resource Cemeteries Language A language of the resource English Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Oxford College of Emory University Contributor An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource Current and former Oxford College of Emory University students: Sofia Fonti, Ben Damon, Geneva Cunningham, Ameer Alnasser, Nadira Hassan, Chloe Peyrebrune, Lauren Yee, Ammarah Ahmed, Alexander Cleveland, Ehren Fernandez, Andres Lebed Wright, Bryce Bentinck, Rahim Khan Alidina, Ayman Badawy, George Drakos, Shahmeer Khan, and Snehitha Vardhineni. Project supervisor: Dr. Florian Pohl Case Use this Item Type to create the case Item Pages for the U.S. Mosque Controversies site. Case Number Enter the case number in this field using the format: Case No. XX_00 (e.g. Case No. Ga_01) VA_09 Location The location of the interview Stafford County, VA Address Enter the full address, if it is available. 1508 Garrisonville Rd, Stafford, VA 22556 Year Year the case began. 2016 Proposed By List the entity (legal entity or community name) that proposed the project. <a href="https://www.amaacemetery.org/about-amaa/">All Muslim Association of America (AMAA)</a> Plus Code Enter the plus code for the location, if it is available. FGQ6+GF Stafford, Virginia Proposed Project cemetery on 29-acre plot of land with a maximum of 15,000 grave sites Type of Opposition Public Campaign, Vandalism, Legal Action, Local Ordinance Public Campaign, Legislation, Planning and Zoning Outcome Rejected, Approved, Approved with Modifications On September 25, 2021, Stafford County supervisors agreed to settle AMAA’s lawsuit. The county agreed to pay AMAA $500,000 and approve its cemetery. The Justice Department announced on October 14, 2021, that it would dismiss its lawsuit against Stafford County. Narrative Enter the narrative about the case here. In May 2015, the All Muslim Association of America (AMAA), a nonprofit religious organization that provides low-cost burial and funeral services in the metropolitan region of Washington, D.C., purchased a property on Garrisonville Road in Stafford County, VA, with the desire to construct a large cemetery with up to 15,000 burial plots. AMAA’s Muslim cemetery on Brooke Road in nearby Fredericksburg, VA, had been operational since 1996, but there were not enough plots for future burials (Branscome, 2018, Apr 25). As a result, AMAA wished to build a new cemetery in Stafford County, as it allowed cemetery use “by right” in A-1 Agricultural Zoning Districts, which did not require review by the county’s Planning Commission or Board of Supervisors (Davis, 2017, Sep 20). In June 2016, a resident near the proposed cemetery site emailed then-Rock Hill District Supervisor Wendy Maurer, expressing concern about the impact on his well water (Baron, 2021, Sep 25). Stafford legislative affairs officer Anthony Toigo wrote to Maurer that as long as there were at least 100 feet between the homeowner’s well and the cemetery, it would not pose a risk to public health. The next day, Crystal Vanuch, a Planning Commission member and a cemetery site neighbor, emailed Maurer, suggesting a meeting with the county attorney to draft a new cemetery regulation for the Planning Commission to review. On November 9, the Planning Commission unanimously voted, 6-0, to recommend the adoption of a new ordinance banning cemeteries within 900 feet of public drinking sources of private wells, nine times the limit required by the Virginia Department of Health (Baron, 2021, Sep 25). The ordinance was unanimously approved by the Stafford County Board of Supervisors, 7-0, on December 13. In addition, any new cemetery proposal must go before the county’s Planning Commission and Board of Supervisors (Davis, 2017, Sep 20). While churchyard cemeteries, which are typically smaller than the proposed Islamic cemetery, and family graveyards were excluded from the ordinance, county officials said they did not consider the AMAA site to be a churchyard cemetery because the group did not intend to have a mosque on site (Olivo, 2020, Dec 2). The ordinance change was unbeknownst to AMAA, which made its final payment for the property in April 2017 (Baron, 2021, Sep 25). AMAA was not informed of the new ordinance until the fall of 2017 (ibid.). In April 2018, the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) launched an investigation into whether Stafford County violated the Religious Land Use and Institutionalized Persons Act (RLUIPA) by blocking AMAA’s proposed cemetery (Branscome, 2018, Apr 25). Despite the investigation, the Planning Commission met on May 23 to unanimously vote, 6-0, to leave the cemetery ordinance in place, saying the stricter requirements would protect public health (ibid.). In a highly unusual vote without all of its members present, the Board of Supervisors voted 3-2, with one abstention, on September 18 to keep the ordinance (Branscome, 2018, Sep 18). In December 2018, AMAA requested a variance from the Board of Zoning Appeals to confirm its cemetery complied with Health Department regulations and would not be within 250 feet of any residence or 200 feet of any private well (Baron, 2020, Oct 15). In June 2020, AMAA announced it was suing Stafford County over its changes to the cemetery ordinance, alleging it prevented the nonprofit from being able to use its land by “imposing new and scientifically unsupported minimum distance requirements between AMAA’s cemetery and certain surrounding water sources” (Muslim Group Sues, 2020, Jun 8). Additionally, AMAA claimed that Stafford County had a history of discrimination against Muslim communities. In its complaint, AMAA describes a different Muslim group, AsSalam Memorial Garden, LLC (AMG), which had requested the construction of a small Muslim cemetery around August 2015. AMAA alleged that Stafford County did not consider the group’s cemetery as a “churchyard” and rejected AMG’s proposal because an ordinance required that perpetual care and endowed cemeteries be a minimum of 25 acres. Ultimately, AMG did not establish a Muslim cemetery in Stafford County. Following AMAA, the DOJ filed a lawsuit against the county on June 19, claiming the ordinance “has no legitimate health justification, imposes a substantial burden on the association’s religious exercise, and is not narrowly tailored to achieve a compelling governmental interest” (Feds sue Virginia, 2020, Jun 19). In response, county officials met in August to reduce the setback from private wells to 656 feet (Baron, 2020, Oct 15). In October, the Board of Supervisors voted 4-3 to rescind the ordinance (Olivo, 2020, Dec 2). The next month, Stafford County supervisors settled the lawsuit filed by AMAA, agreeing to pay them $500,000 and approve the cemetery (Baron, 2021, Sep 25). The DOJ dismissed its lawsuit against Stafford County on October 14 (U.S. Department of Justice, 2021, Oct 14). On October 15, 2021, it was reported that construction was set to begin on the cemetery (Kellner, 2021, Oct 15). According to AMAA’s website, the cemetery is under construction and is over 70% completed as of March 2023. AMAA plans to purchase an additional thirty to fifty acres of land between Ashburn and Manassas, VA, to construct another cemetery. References <ul> <li style="font-weight:400;">Baron, J.S. (2020, October 15). Stafford supervisors will consider repealing latest cemetery provisions. Fredericksburg.com.<a href="https://fredericksburg.com/news/local/stafford-supervisors-will-consider-repealing-latest-cemetery-provisions/article_0700d178-2cff-5d02-adce-a35c4e67e592.html"> Web</a>.</li> <li style="font-weight:400;">Baron, J.S. (2021, September 25). Stafford supervisors vote to settle costly Muslim cemetery case. Fredericksburg.com.<a href="https://fredericksburg.com/news/local/stafford-supervisors-vote-to-settle-costly-muslim-cemetery-case/article_0251255e-5595-50c9-9be5-b3af93b130ef.html"> Web</a>.</li> <li style="font-weight:400;">Branscome, J. (2018, April 25). DOJ launches investigation into Stafford’s handling of a proposed Muslim cemetery. Fredericksburg.com.<a href="https://fredericksburg.com/news/local/doj-launches-investigation-into-staffords-handling-of-a-proposed-muslim-cemetery/article_04262377-46c3-5a77-90ac-2b2cc54c53e3.html"> Web</a>.</li> <li style="font-weight:400;">Branscome, J. (2018, September 18). Stafford leaders vote to maintain cemetery ordinance amid DOJ investigation. Fredericksburg.com.<a href="https://fredericksburg.com/news/local/stafford-leaders-vote-to-maintain-cemetery-ordinance-amid-doj-investigation/article_69a0c8c8-0576-59e8-987a-99e9391fbe88.html"> Web</a>.</li> <li style="font-weight:400;">Davis, K. (2017, September 20). Planning Commission likely to revisit new cemetery ordinance after changes shut out Muslim cemetery. Available through<a href="https://infoweb.newsbank.com/apps/news/document-view?p=WORLDNEWS&docref=news/16708D3625B7D2A0&f=basic"> NewsBank</a>.</li> <li style="font-weight:400;">Feds sue Virginia county over law blocking Islamic cemetery. (2020, June 19). Associated Press. Available through<a href="https://advance-lexis-com.proxy.library.emory.edu/api/document?collection=news&id=urn:contentItem:605K-0N21-DYMD-61TV-00000-00&context=1516831"> NexisUni</a>.</li> <li style="font-weight:400;">Kellner, M. (2021, October 15). Stafford County settles federal discrimination lawsuit, allows Muslim cemetery in Fredericksburg. The Washington Times.<a href="https://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2021/oct/14/stafford-county-settles-federal-discrimination-sui/"> Web</a>.</li> <li style="font-weight:400;">Muslim Group Sues Virginia County for Blocking Construction of Religious Cemetery. (2020, June 8). Muslim Advocates.<a href="https://muslimadvocates.org/2020/06/muslim-group-sues-virginia-county-for-blocking-construction-of-religious-cemetery/"> Web</a>.</li> <li style="font-weight:400;">Olivo, A. (2020, December 2). Changing Virginia County faces discrimination charges over Islamic cemetery. The Washington Post.<a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/local/virginia-politics/virginia-muslim-cemetery-lawsuit/2020/12/02/5e4e1504-2aa0-11eb-8fa2-06e7cbb145c0_story.html"> Web</a>.</li> <li style="font-weight:400;">U.S. Department of Justice (2021, October 14). Stafford County to Allow Islamic Cemetery in Response to Justice Department Lawsuit. United States Attorney’s Office.<a href="https://www.justice.gov/usao-edva/pr/stafford-county-allow-islamic-cemetery-response-justice-department-lawsuit"> Web</a>.</li> </ul> Last Updated Date revised. June 13, 2024 Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Stafford County, VA Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Ryan Wang Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Oxford College of Emory University Description An account of the resource In May 2015, the All Muslim Association of America (AMAA) purchased a property on Garrisonville Road zoned for cemetery use. However, in December 2016, the Stafford County Board of Supervisors voted to change the county’s cemetery ordinance to effectively prohibit the Muslim cemetery. AMAA was not notified of the ordinance change until the fall of 2017, which launched a U.S. Department of Justice investigation regarding religious discrimination in April 2018. Two separate lawsuits against Stafford County were then filed by AMAA and the DOJ until a settlement approving the cemetery was finally reached in September 2021, ending a six-year conflict. Approved (initial denial) Built Cemetery DOJ Lawsuit (RLUIPA) Legislation Public Campaign https://usmc.oxomeka.org/files/original/3989e53bccc08dcee4bb485c5fa83e45.png 0be794a5c9eb1e06942a23bc627ad587 Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Description An account of the resource This collection documents 29 cases of public opposition towards American Muslim cemetery building projects from 2002 to 2023. Each case contains a narrative that describes its events, which was compiled through analyzing newspaper archives via NewsBank and NexisUni. The primary challenge American Muslim communities face when establishing cemeteries is obtaining administrative approval from an entity such as a city council or board of commissioners. Residents' concerns related to groundwater contamination, lowered property values, and aesthetics often pressure authorities to deny cemetery projects. These reasons for opposition differ from those involving mosques, which tend to focus on increased traffic, violations of noise ordinances, and the potential for terrorism. This collection is more comprehensive than other compilations of cemetery cases, which cover a limited timeframe, are no longer current, or need to be updated (e.g., Pew Research Center 2012, Younes 2017, ACLU 2017, New America 2018, HuffPost 2024). However, it does not fully represent all controversies surrounding American Muslim cemeteries, as it focuses on post-2000 cases and does not include cases of vandalism against established cemeteries. Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Ryan Wang Title A name given to the resource Cemeteries Language A language of the resource English Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Oxford College of Emory University Contributor An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource Current and former Oxford College of Emory University students: Sofia Fonti, Ben Damon, Geneva Cunningham, Ameer Alnasser, Nadira Hassan, Chloe Peyrebrune, Lauren Yee, Ammarah Ahmed, Alexander Cleveland, Ehren Fernandez, Andres Lebed Wright, Bryce Bentinck, Rahim Khan Alidina, Ayman Badawy, George Drakos, Shahmeer Khan, and Snehitha Vardhineni. Project supervisor: Dr. Florian Pohl Case Use this Item Type to create the case Item Pages for the U.S. Mosque Controversies site. Case Number Enter the case number in this field using the format: Case No. XX_00 (e.g. Case No. Ga_01) FL_05 Location The location of the interview St. Lucie County Date 2013 Plus Code Enter the plus code for the location, if it is available. 9JCR+59 White City, Florida Proposed Project Cemetery: Petition to rezone more than five acres of property located at the intersection of Midway Road and Christensen Road for use as a cemetery with approximately 2,600 burial sites Proposed By List the entity (legal entity or community name) that proposed the project. Baraka Center of the Treasure Coast Inc. (aka <a href="https://www.icfp-fl.com/cemetery.html">Baraka Center Muslim Cemetery</a>) Year Year the case began. 2013 Address Enter the full address, if it is available. 5065 Christensen Rd, Fort Pierce, FL 34981 Type of Opposition Public Campaign, Vandalism, Legal Action, Local Ordinance Public Campaign Outcome Rejected, Approved, Approved with Modifications Approved with condition to bury bodies in sealed vaults Narrative Enter the narrative about the case here. In St. Lucie County, Florida, a proposal to construct the Baraka Center Muslim Cemetery in a residential neighborhood met with opposition from local residents. Still, it was ultimately approved by county commissioners in a unanimous vote. On June 20, 2013, the St. Lucie County Zoning & Planning Commission recommended to the County Board of Commissioners the rezoning of the Christensen Road property from AR-1 (agricultural-residential) to I (industrial) and the issuance of a conditional use permit for a private cemetery (St. Lucie County Planning & Zoning Commission, 2013, Jun 20). During the July 2 meeting of the County Board of Commissioners, residents opposed the project, citing concerns about the aesthetic and emotional impact of living near a cemetery. They also raised practical concerns about increased traffic and potential environmental impacts on nearby wells from Muslim burial practices (Hait, 2013, Jul 2). In response, the Muslim community addressed the visual concerns by committing to using trees and bushes to screen the cemetery from view as much as possible. Despite the opposition, the County Commissioners voted unanimously to approve the project, imposing the condition that bodies be buried in sealed vaults to alleviate environmental concerns. Now operational, the Baraka Center Muslim Cemetery serves the wider Muslim community of the Treasure Coast area. It is listed on the website of the Islamic Center of Fort Pierce (ICFP), one of the oldest Islamic communities in the area. In 2013, during the controversy, the ICFP's mosque was located nearby on Midway Road. In a tragic turn of events, on September 11, 2016, the mosque was set on fire and partially destroyed by an Islamophobic arsonist (Detman, 2016, Sep 12). In February 2017, the ICFP acquired a new property, a former church complex, on Oleander Avenue in Fort Pierce. References <ul> <li style="font-weight:400;">Detman ,G. (2016, September 12). Arsonist torches Pulse nightclub killer's mosque in Fort Pierce. CBS 12 News. <a href="https://cbs12.com/news/local/fire-destroys-mosque-in-fort-pierce">Web</a>.</li> <li style="font-weight:400;">Hait, Ari. (2013, July 2). Muslim cemetery approved in St. Lucie County. ABC-25 WPBF. <a href="https://www.wpbf.com/article/muslim-cemetery-approved-in-st-lucie-county/1317892">Web</a>. </li> <li style="font-weight:400;">St. Lucie County Planning & Zoning Commission. (2013, June 20). Planning & Zoning Commission public minutes. CivicClerk. <a href="https://stluciecofl.portal.civicclerk.com/event/1638/overview">Web</a>.</li> </ul> Last Updated Date revised. June 11, 2024 Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource St. Lucie County, FL Description An account of the resource In June 2013, St. Lucie County commissioners approved a rezoning application for a Muslim cemetery over the opposition of local residents. Added traffic, potential groundwater contamination, and the character of the residential neighborhood were among the concerns expressed at the commission's public meeting. The Muslim community addressed concerns by agreeing to place bodies in sealed containers and plant trees and bushes as a green fence around the cemetery property. Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Ryan Wang Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Oxford College of Emory University Approved Built Cemetery Public Campaign https://usmc.oxomeka.org/files/original/86a017ab5d2a923242bf2961d530c308.jpg 15c456cccc8d7ed74886e99eb47eadac Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Description An account of the resource This collection documents 29 cases of public opposition towards American Muslim cemetery building projects from 2002 to 2023. Each case contains a narrative that describes its events, which was compiled through analyzing newspaper archives via NewsBank and NexisUni. The primary challenge American Muslim communities face when establishing cemeteries is obtaining administrative approval from an entity such as a city council or board of commissioners. Residents' concerns related to groundwater contamination, lowered property values, and aesthetics often pressure authorities to deny cemetery projects. These reasons for opposition differ from those involving mosques, which tend to focus on increased traffic, violations of noise ordinances, and the potential for terrorism. This collection is more comprehensive than other compilations of cemetery cases, which cover a limited timeframe, are no longer current, or need to be updated (e.g., Pew Research Center 2012, Younes 2017, ACLU 2017, New America 2018, HuffPost 2024). However, it does not fully represent all controversies surrounding American Muslim cemeteries, as it focuses on post-2000 cases and does not include cases of vandalism against established cemeteries. Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Ryan Wang Title A name given to the resource Cemeteries Language A language of the resource English Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Oxford College of Emory University Contributor An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource Current and former Oxford College of Emory University students: Sofia Fonti, Ben Damon, Geneva Cunningham, Ameer Alnasser, Nadira Hassan, Chloe Peyrebrune, Lauren Yee, Ammarah Ahmed, Alexander Cleveland, Ehren Fernandez, Andres Lebed Wright, Bryce Bentinck, Rahim Khan Alidina, Ayman Badawy, George Drakos, Shahmeer Khan, and Snehitha Vardhineni. Project supervisor: Dr. Florian Pohl Case Use this Item Type to create the case Item Pages for the U.S. Mosque Controversies site. Case Number Enter the case number in this field using the format: Case No. XX_00 (e.g. Case No. Ga_01) Case No. Tx_03 Location The location of the interview Farmersville, TX Date May 2015-July 2019 Address Enter the full address, if it is available. 333 County Rd 557, Farmersville, TX 75442 Plus Code Enter the plus code for the location, if it is available. 5H5R+RX Farmersville, Texas Proposed Project IACC applied to develop a cemetery on 34 acres of land. The project included restrooms, a pavilion, a maintenance building, internal roads, and approximately 11,000 burial sites. Proposed By List the entity (legal entity or community name) that proposed the project. <a href="https://planomasjid.org/">Islamic Association of Collin County</a> (IACC) Type of Opposition Public Campaign, Vandalism, Legal Action, Local Ordinance Public Campaign/Protest; Local Ordinance/Legislation Outcome Rejected, Approved, Approved with Modifications Denied in 2017 but approved with minor restrictions after DOJ investigation in December 2018. The cemetery opened in June 2021. Narrative Enter the narrative about the case here. Farmersville is a rural Texas city in Collin County with an estimated population of 3,500 people. In 2015, the Islamic Association of Collin County (IACC), which operates a mosque on the west side of Plano, TX, spearheaded efforts of five Muslim communities to develop a new cemetery. The cemetery would offer affordable burials for Collin County’s Muslim population, which grew from 6,000 in 2000 to more than 22,000. Up to that point, Collin County’s Muslim families had buried their deceased in cemeteries in Dallas and Denton. Most cities in Collin County such as McKinney, Allen, Blue Ridge, and Anna either did not have adequate space or had certain restrictions against building cemeteries (Veigel 2015). However, in early 2015, IACC identified a 34-acre plot in the extraterritorial jurisdiction of the City of Farmersville. The property was in a suitable location in relatively close proximity to the county’s five Muslim communities. The IACC developed plans for its cemetery project to include restrooms, a pavilion, a maintenance building, and approximately 11,000 burial sites (Light, 2018). As a first step, IACC submitted a concept plan to the city’s Planning Commission, which the commission discussed at a special session on May 28, 2015. The City’s engineering firm and city manager reviewed the plan, and the Planning Commission approved it unanimously. Based on the approval, IACC proceeded to purchase the property. The wider Farmersville community did not become aware of the cemetery project for several weeks. However, once news about IACC’s project broke, intense public opposition emerged. Social media posts, emails, and editorials in local papers expressed residents’ and non-residents’ opposition to the project frequently on the basis of religion. Although the project was not on the July and August agendas, meetings of the Planning Commission and the City Council drew large crowds of objectors. While some local community members such as David J. Meeks, the pastor of the Bethlehem Baptist Church, spoke about their concerns regarding this project, others such as Bart Barber, the pastor of the First Baptist Church in Farmersville, supported IACC saying, “The rights of conscience are inalienable, and religious conscience is among those inalienable rights – and that includes Muslims. If I can build a church, Muslims can build a mosque” (Holley, 2015, Jul 24). Reacting to the emerging controversy, the City organized an extraordinary town hall meeting to discuss the project. On August 4, an overflow crowd of 300 to 400 people gathered in the Farmersville High School auditorium. Numerous discriminatory comments about ICAA, Muslims, and Islam were made (Pots, 2015, Aug 5). Local elections in May 2016 brought to office a new mayor and several council members who had run on an anti-cemetery platform. The newly elected officials significantly delayed the project at a significant cost to ICAA for the next two years. Despite the opposition, IACC decided to move forward with its project plans. On June 19, 2017, the Planning Commission considered IACC’s preliminary plat application. It unanimously recommended approval to the City Council. Notwithstanding the recommendation, the Farmersville City Council voted to deny IACC’s application at its regularly scheduled meeting on July 11, 2017. Council members justified their decision by citing general flooding concerns for a small portion of the cemetery property along County Road 557. The result was a complete dismissal that did not give IACC an opportunity to address the issue the council had raised. In September 2017, the United States Department of Justice (DOJ) announced it had opened an investigation to inspect the reasons behind the city’s decision to deny the proposal. Following a yearlong investigation, the DOJ concluded in August 2018 that the City of Farmersville had violated the Religious Land Use and Institutionalized Persons Act of 2000 (RLUIPA). The DOJ declared it was prepared to file a lawsuit but gave the City of Farmersville a chance to negotiate with IACC. Within a month, the City and IACC came to an agreement to approve the proposal to build the cemetery. The agreement placed a temporary limit on the use of the small section of the cemetery for which flooding issues had been identified. In December 2018, The City of Farmersville formally approved IACC’s application to develop the land as a cemetery (Department of Justice, 2019). On April 16, 2019, the DOJ filed a legal complaint and entered into a settlement agreement resolving the case. The complaint alleged that “City decision makers made discriminatory comments against Islam and acted in response to the religious animus that many members of the public expressed against Muslims” (United States v. City of Farmersville, Texas, 2019). In July, the City approved IACC’s Final Plat. A groundbreaking ceremony was held in 2020. The cemetery has been operational since June 2021. References <ul> <li>Holley, J. (2015). Dispute over Islamic cemetery splits N. Texas community. Houston Chronicle. Available at https://www.houstonchronicle.com/news/columnists/native-texan/article/Dispute-over-Islamic-cemetery-splits-N-Texas-6402572.php</li> <li>Department of Justice (2019). Justice Department settles claims against Farmersville, Texas, involving denial of Islamic cemetery. Available at https://www.justice.gov/opa/pr/justice-department-settles-claims-against-farmersvilletexas-involving-denial-islamic-cemetery.</li> <li>Pots, R. (2015, August 5). Why is Farmersville, Texas, so dead-set against a Muslim cemetery? The Daily Beast. Available at https://www.thedailybeast.com/why-is-farmersville-texas-so-dead-set-against-a-muslim-cemetery?ref=scroll. </li> <li>United States v. City of Farmersville (E.D. Tex., 2019). Available at https://www.justice.gov/crt/case-document/complaint-united-states-v-city-farmersville-texas-ed-tex. </li> <li>Veigel, W. (2015, July 9). Muslim cemetery: Residents want it dead. The Farmersville Times. Available at https://farmersvilletimes.com/2015/07/09/muslim-cemetery-residents-want-it-dead. </li> </ul> Last Updated Date revised. April 11, 2022 Year Year the case began. 2015 Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Farmersville, TX Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Oxford College of Emory University Description An account of the resource In 2015, the Islamic Association of Collin County (IACC) spearheads the development of a cemetery for American Muslims of Collin County. The project meets with opposition from the residents of Farmersville, TX. Despite a recommendation for approval from the Planning and Zoning Commission, the City Council unanimously rejects IACC’s application in 2017. The Mayor and City Council Members publicly oppose the project. Following an investigation, the United States Department of Justice sues the City in August 2018 for violation of the Religious Land Use and Institutionalized Persons Act. Subsequently, the city of Farmersville and IACC enter an agreement approving the cemetery construction with minor restrictions. Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Snehitha Vardhineni Approved (initial denial) Built Cemetery DOJ Lawsuit (RLUIPA) Planning and Zoning Public Campaign Public Speech https://usmc.oxomeka.org/files/original/21c879878c36d1408b34c1ec7d931c79.pdf ec261f61bc05627042f13fa0020bb9a9 Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Description An account of the resource Mosque Building Elevations [online image] (2015). Retrieved October 7 from http://www.cordobacenter.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/08/Mosque-Building-Elevations.pdf Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Description An account of the resource This collection documents 29 cases of public opposition towards American Muslim cemetery building projects from 2002 to 2023. Each case contains a narrative that describes its events, which was compiled through analyzing newspaper archives via NewsBank and NexisUni. The primary challenge American Muslim communities face when establishing cemeteries is obtaining administrative approval from an entity such as a city council or board of commissioners. Residents' concerns related to groundwater contamination, lowered property values, and aesthetics often pressure authorities to deny cemetery projects. These reasons for opposition differ from those involving mosques, which tend to focus on increased traffic, violations of noise ordinances, and the potential for terrorism. This collection is more comprehensive than other compilations of cemetery cases, which cover a limited timeframe, are no longer current, or need to be updated (e.g., Pew Research Center 2012, Younes 2017, ACLU 2017, New America 2018, HuffPost 2024). However, it does not fully represent all controversies surrounding American Muslim cemeteries, as it focuses on post-2000 cases and does not include cases of vandalism against established cemeteries. Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Ryan Wang Title A name given to the resource Cemeteries Language A language of the resource English Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Oxford College of Emory University Contributor An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource Current and former Oxford College of Emory University students: Sofia Fonti, Ben Damon, Geneva Cunningham, Ameer Alnasser, Nadira Hassan, Chloe Peyrebrune, Lauren Yee, Ammarah Ahmed, Alexander Cleveland, Ehren Fernandez, Andres Lebed Wright, Bryce Bentinck, Rahim Khan Alidina, Ayman Badawy, George Drakos, Shahmeer Khan, and Snehitha Vardhineni. Project supervisor: Dr. Florian Pohl Case Use this Item Type to create the case Item Pages for the U.S. Mosque Controversies site. Case Number Enter the case number in this field using the format: Case No. XX_00 (e.g. Case No. Ga_01) Case No. Ca_09 Location The location of the interview San Martin, CA (Santa Clara County) Address Enter the full address, if it is available. 14065 Monterey Road, San Martin, CA 95046 Proposed Project The Cordoba Center project includes a 9,000 square-foot mosque, 14,500-square-foot community center, 15,000-square-foot community plaza, and 3,380-square-foot caretaker's building. The project is designed to be eco-friendly with heavy influence from Spanish-Andalusian architecture. The proposed cemetery covers 3.5 acres and has a maximum of 1,996 gravesites, with a limit of 30 burials annually. Proposed By List the entity (legal entity or community name) that proposed the project. <a href="http://www.svic.org/blog/">South Valley Islamic Center</a> Outcome Rejected, Approved, Approved with Modifications The South Valley Islamic Center received project approval in December 2019. Narrative Enter the narrative about the case here. The South Valley Islamic Community (SVIC) in San Martin, California had been gathering in a small sheep barn in San Martin to carry out religious activities like praying and providing children with Sunday school. The barn, which was loaned to the Muslim community in 2001 by a Vietnam War veteran for free, was only a little larger than 1,000 square feet and only contained a small air conditioning unit and carpet (Vo, 2019, May 23). This was insufficient for the almost 100 American Muslim families that make up the Muslim community in the neighborhood. These situations encouraged SVIC to propose building a mosque, community center, and cemetery in San Martin, named Cordoba Center, to better accommodate the growing community. The name was inspired by the Spanish city of Cordoba where Islam, Christianity, and Judaism flourished together during the Dark Ages (Rodriguez, 2012, August 21). The proposed project included a 5,000-square-foot prayer hall, multipurpose room, and a 2-acre cemetery on a 16-acre property on Monterey Road (Rodriguez, 2012, August 21). The project had been in planning by the South Valley Islamic Center since 2006 but was delayed until 2012 due to a lack of adequate funding. Initial Acceptance of Project and Subsequent Backlash The project gained conditional approval from the Santa Clara County Commission on August 2, 2012, after five Santa Clara County supervisors unanimously voted in favor of building the mosque (Rodriguez 2012, September 26). After reviewing the capacity of the septic system, the Planning Commission decided to limit the facility to 80 regular attendees and a maximum of three single-day events throughout the year for up to 150 people with extra porta-potties provided on those specific days (Santa Clara County upholds planning commission approval, 2012, September 27). The conditional approval faced backlash from both the Muslim and non-Muslim communities in San Martin. Whereas the SVIC and Muslim community were dissatisfied with the conditions imposed on the mosque to be built, members of the local non-Muslim community opposed the project citing environmental and traffic concerns as the main reason, despite the initial project being scaled down. Another reason for the backlash was the anti-Muslim sentiment in the town. The opposition to this project became clear at public meetings held in Morgan Hill where opponents of the mosque did not hide anti-Muslim sentiments (Muslim center approved for South County, 2012, August 4). One group of opponents, Gilroy/Morgan Hill Patriots, argued that the Cordoba Center was not useful for the community because they believed that no Muslims were living in the San Martin community and that only Muslims coming in from outside the San Martin community would use the proposed mosque (Muslim center approved for South County, 2012, August 4). The opposition group invited a guest speaker, Peter Freidman, who manages an anti-Muslim website, to the Gilroy Library on August 18, 2012, for a presentation (Rodriguez, 2012, September 26). Legal Actions and Consequences The dissatisfaction from the two communities led to three appeals being filed against the Planning Commission’s decision to approve the project. The People’s Coalition for Government Accountability and the San Martin Neighbourhood Association wanted to reverse the decision of the Planning Commission through their appeals (Santa Clara County, 2012, September 27). The South Valley Islamic Center, on the other hand, appealed to change some of the restrictions imposed on the Cordoba Center, requesting to expand one of the buildings and increase the number of events they could hold throughout the year (Rodriguez, 2012, September 26). The project received approval from the county Planning Commission after the appeals had been filed, allowing the Center to organize one additional event per year (Santa Clara County, 2012, September 27). Opponents of the People’s Coalition for Government Accountability and the San Martin Neighbourhood Association expressed that the project was too large for the rural area and that the water contamination from Muslim burial methods and traffic concerns had not been examined carefully. Although county officials argued that the planned project passed all the necessary tests, opponents continued their attempts to block it. The opposition, along with the threat of legal actions against the Islamic Center, led to the Islamic Center voluntarily withdrawing the project proposal. Resubmission of Masjid Proposal and Current Status In 2016, the South Valley Islamic Institution proposed the Cordoba Center project again for approval. The project was almost triple the size of the previous project proposal, citing potential population growth and future requirements as the main reason. The new project, at the same site, included a 9,000-square-foot mosque, 14,500-square-foot community center, 15,000-square-foot community plaza, a 3,380-square-foot caretaker's building, and 3.5 acres for cemetery use. The new facility would have a maximum capacity of 300 people for regular events and would organize four special events throughout the year for up to 500 people (Vo, 2019, May 25). The group agreed to fund an Environmental Impact Report (EIR). The new project received further backlash from the San Martin community. Most people argued that the rural area was not adequate for this project. Previous reasons for opposing the proposal resurfaced again. Most people cited environmental concerns, particularly water contamination. Traditional Muslim methods of burial do not use a coffin or embalming. This led to concerns that the well water in the community would get polluted. The EIR suggested that the impact on groundwater would be alleviated if the mosque limited burial to 30 per year (Vo, 2019, May 25). Others suggested that the Cordoba Center did not represent American culture and would spread Islam and terrorism in the community. Others believed the project was too large for the area, despite a Hindu Temple of 15,000 square feet having gained approval for extension recently (Danish, 2018, September 5). The Board of Supervisors finally approved the project in December 2019 (Vo, 2019, December 20). Fundraising for the project is ongoing. It is mainly funded through donations and traditional loans. References <ul><li>Danish, M. (2018, September 5). Mosque and community center planned in San Martin waiting for green light. KALW Local Public Radio. Retrieved from: https://www.kalw.org/post/mosque-and-community-center-planned-san-martin-waiting-green-light - stream. </li> <li>Muslim center approved for South County (2012, August 4). San Jose Interfaith Examiner (CA). Available from NewsBank: Access World News – Historical and Current: https://infoweb-newsbank-com.proxy.library.emory.edu/apps/news/document-view?p=WORLDNEWS&docref=news/14084C306C052658.</li> <li>Rodriguez, J. (2012, August 21). Rural Mosque divides area: Muslims’ search for a home in South Santa Clara County sparks a clash over religion, politics and the environment. San Jose Mercury News (CA), p. 1A. Available from NewsBank: Access World News – Historical and Current: https://infoweb-newsbank-com.proxy.library.emory.edu/apps/news/document-view?p=WORLDNEWS&docref=news/140D1A3AA310CE80.</li> <li>Rodriguez, J. (2012, September 26). Mosque OK’d in rural area- American Muslim group allowed a smaller building than it wanted. San Jose Mercury News (CA), p. 1B. Available from NewsBank: Access World News – Historical and Current: https://infoweb-newsbank-com.proxy.library.emory.edu/apps/news/document-view?p=WORLDNEWS&docref=news/1418F61BA277FD68. Muslim center approved for South County (2012, August 4). San Jose Interfaith Examiner (CA). Available from NewsBank: Access World News – Historical and Current: https://infoweb-newsbank-com.proxy.library.emory.edu/apps/news/document-view?p=WORLDNEWS&docref=news/14084C306C052658.</li> <li>Santa Clara County Upholds Planning Commission Approval of the Cordoba Center Religious Facility (2012, September 27). Targeted News Service (USA). Available from NewsBank: Access World News – Historical and Current: https://infoweb-newsbank-com.proxy.library.emory.edu/apps/news/document-view?p=WORLDNEWS&docref=news/141911B5901347B8.</li> <li>Vo, T. (2019, December 20). Mosque to rise amid new Islamic cemetery - Board of Supervisors unanimously approved permits for the project, which has been in the works for a decade. Mercury News, The (San Jose, CA), p. B1. Available from NewsBank: Access World News – Historical and Current: https://infoweb-newsbank-com.proxy.library.emory.edu/apps/news/document-view?p=WORLDNEWS&docref=news/177F75EABADF59A0.</li> <li>Vo, T. (2019, May 25). Scaled-down San Martin mosque requested- Santa Clara County Planning Commission supports project but says it’s too large for rural community. Mercury News, The (San Jose, CA), p. 1B. Available from NewsBank: Access World News – Historical and Current: https://infoweb-newsbank-com.proxy.library.emory.edu/apps/news/document-view?p=WORLDNEWS&docref=news/173B80D40BC171F8.</li> <li>Vo, T. (2019, May 23). Mosque/Cemetery Proposal stirs controversy in San Martin- size of Islamic Center project would ‘change the face’ of rural area, some residents say. East Bay Times (CA), p. 1A. Available from NewsBank: Access World News – Historical and Current: https://infoweb-newsbank-com.proxy.library.emory.edu/apps/news/document-view?p=WORLDNEWS&docref=news/173B7F7CC59058D0.</li> </ul> Last Updated Date revised. April 8, 2022 Year Year the case began. 2012 Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource San Martin, CA Description An account of the resource The Muslim community of the South Valley Islamic Center (SVIC) in San Martin seeks to build a mosque, community center, and cemetery because their current place of worship, a barn, is insufficient for the growing community. Despite gaining approval from the county Planning Commission, the group withdraws the project in response to a lawsuit filed by opposition groups. When SVIC resubmits the project in 2016, it again faces opposition from the community. The Board of Supervisors finally approves the project in December 2019. Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Oxford College of Emory University Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Ammarah Ahmed Approved Bias-related Incident Cemetery Community Center Legal Campaign Mosque Public Campaign Under Construction Withdrawn https://usmc.oxomeka.org/files/original/e541712c73649a9bf00820ae10e1e617.jpg e3211f5a1b9761dbbbcaab8e09273f3f Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Description An account of the resource test Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Description An account of the resource This collection documents 29 cases of public opposition towards American Muslim cemetery building projects from 2002 to 2023. Each case contains a narrative that describes its events, which was compiled through analyzing newspaper archives via NewsBank and NexisUni. The primary challenge American Muslim communities face when establishing cemeteries is obtaining administrative approval from an entity such as a city council or board of commissioners. Residents' concerns related to groundwater contamination, lowered property values, and aesthetics often pressure authorities to deny cemetery projects. These reasons for opposition differ from those involving mosques, which tend to focus on increased traffic, violations of noise ordinances, and the potential for terrorism. This collection is more comprehensive than other compilations of cemetery cases, which cover a limited timeframe, are no longer current, or need to be updated (e.g., Pew Research Center 2012, Younes 2017, ACLU 2017, New America 2018, HuffPost 2024). However, it does not fully represent all controversies surrounding American Muslim cemeteries, as it focuses on post-2000 cases and does not include cases of vandalism against established cemeteries. Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Ryan Wang Title A name given to the resource Cemeteries Language A language of the resource English Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Oxford College of Emory University Contributor An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource Current and former Oxford College of Emory University students: Sofia Fonti, Ben Damon, Geneva Cunningham, Ameer Alnasser, Nadira Hassan, Chloe Peyrebrune, Lauren Yee, Ammarah Ahmed, Alexander Cleveland, Ehren Fernandez, Andres Lebed Wright, Bryce Bentinck, Rahim Khan Alidina, Ayman Badawy, George Drakos, Shahmeer Khan, and Snehitha Vardhineni. Project supervisor: Dr. Florian Pohl Case Use this Item Type to create the case Item Pages for the U.S. Mosque Controversies site. Case Number Enter the case number in this field using the format: Case No. XX_00 (e.g. Case No. Ga_01) Cae No. GA_04 Location The location of the interview Lilburn, GA Date November 2009-August 2011 A documented account of Case No. GA_04, occurring in Lilburn, GA. 30047 between November 2009 and August 2011 Summary Enter a brief description of the case (no more than 600 characters). This should be one or two sentences. "The congregation sought permission to expand two buildings into a 20,000-square-foot complex with a mosque, gym and cemetery. The Lilburn City Council rejected this proposal in November 2009 and a scaled-down proposal in December 2010. After the U.S. Department of Justice threatened to sue Lilburn, alleging religious discrimination, the city approved a modified proposal in August 2011" (Liu 2012). Address Enter the full address, if it is available. 5064 Lawrenceville Highway, Lilburn, GA 30047 Plus Code Enter the plus code for the location, if it is available. VVQ2+HJ Lilburn, Georgia Proposed Project A 7.9 acre expansion on a lot owned by the Dar-E-Abbas Islamic Shi’a Center to develop a larger mosque, athletic facility, and cemetery. Proposed By List the entity (legal entity or community name) that proposed the project. Dar-E-Abbas Islamic Shi’a Center. The community was established in 1998 and consists primarily of south Asian immigrants and their families. In 2009, the congregation size was approximately 250 members. Coordinates Enter the coordinates for the location, if they are available. 33°54'35.0"N 84°08'52.0"W Type of Opposition Public Campaign, Vandalism, Legal Action, Local Ordinance Zoning ordinances and Federal Discrimination Lawsuits Outcome Rejected, Approved, Approved with Modifications Delayed, partially approved Narrative Enter the narrative about the case here. On November 10th, 2009, in the city of Lilburn, Georgia, a proposal was made by the Dar-e ‘Abbas Islamic Shia Center to expand its mosque. In the initial proposal, the Dar-e ‘Abbas wanted to purchase 7.9 acres adjacent to their original property; this was rejected on November 18, 2009, by the city of Lilburn, as the mosque’s land would violate zoning regulation due to its size. In 2010, a second proposal was made by Dar-e ‘Abbas, in which the mosque followed all the zoning requirements (Bernarde 2011, Aug 16). However, the community of Lilburn voiced their disapproval on the basis that even though it followed the zoning requirements, the expansion of the mosque would foment traffic and occupy parking spaces in the area. Based primarily on this public outcry, the City Council of Lilburn rejected the second proposal in December of 2010, though the proposal followed all the zoning requirements. This was followed by a lawsuit from the Dar-e ’Abbas Center and a complaint from the Department of Justice saying rejecting it was unconstitutional and religiously discriminatory. In August of 2011, a third proposal was made and the council voted 3-1 to approve it (Anderson 2012, Aug 10). Dar-e ‘Abbas Islamic Shi’a Center Community In Lilburn, the Shi’a Community began as a group of a few families during the Reagan era, but it grew considerably in the 1990s and 2000s, coming from India, Iran, Pakistan, Iraq, and Afghanistan. The Shi’a community in Lilburn consists mainly of the Dar-e ‘Abbas congregation as a religious and cultural community that retains much of the Muslim religious tradition, as well as continued propagation and teaching of Islam, as exemplified by ‘DAISY’ (Dar-e ‘Abbas Islamic School for Youth), where kids are encouraged to attend Islamic school every Saturday. First Proposal The first proposal to construct Dar-e ‘Abbas Islamic Shi’a Center began in 2009 and was rejected on the grounds that the religious center occupied more land than county residential zoning laws would permit. Ironically, Lilburn city government had previously blocked a proposed expansion of another Muslim community by mandating that religious centers occupy over 5 acres of land when commercially zoned after they learned of these development plans in 2003 (Holder 2011). The Dar-e ‘Abbas Islamic Shi’a Center’s first proposal was made in efforts to expand upon a preexisting mosque that had become too small to fit its 250 member congregation (Beasley 2009, Dec 17). On November 18 of 2009, the Shi’a community’s proposal to build a mosque, cemetery, and athletic facility on 7.9 acres adjacent to their preexisting mosque was rejected by the city council. The multipurpose facility violated a zoning requirement that mandated that religious institutions could not occupy a space of over five acres, which did not exist during the mosque’s original construction eleven years earlier (Beasley 2009, Dec 17). Thus the proposal was unanimously rejected by the city council (Bernarde 2011, Aug 16). The community filed a Federal Discrimination Lawsuit (Case No. 1:09-CV-3549-TWT) against the city of Lilburn, as they felt that this zoning restriction limited their religious freedom and showed favoritism for secular community centers, which could exceed five acres in size (Beasley 2009, Dec 17). The city of Lilburn presumably successfully defended against the lawsuit, as neither side commented on the case after 2010 and no reparations were ordered by the district court (Bernarde 2011, Aug 16). Additionally, the city held a community vote to decide to permit religious institutions to develop on land larger than five acres that the residents of Lilburn rejected (Beasley 2009, Dec 17). The plans for the Dar-e ‘Abbas Islamic Shi’a Center were then adjusted to comply with zoning regulations. Second Proposal In order to accommodate the zoning regulations, plans for Dar-e ‘Abbas Islamic Shi’a Center were scaled back not to include the cemetery and gymnasium of their original proposal in a space of 4 acres. Though the mosque’s proposal was within the guidelines of the zoning, on December 6, 2010 the Lilburn Planning Commission stated that the Mosques 20,000 square foot area worship space and 200 car parking garage would cause traffic and safety concerns (Bernarde 2011, Aug 16). Additionally, with the possibility of the mosque’s construction, citizens of Lilburn began to speak out against the mosque’s construction (Anderson 2012, Aug 10). The Atlanta Journal-Constitution reported that city council members were receiving emails with complaints “ranging from thoughtful ruminations on the zoning implications to concerns that Islamic terrorists were going to destroy the city” (Anderson 2012, Aug 10). The city council voted in December of 2010 to on the mosque’s second proposal, which resulted in a 2-2 decision to pass the proposal (Bernarde 2011, Aug 16). Since a majority was needed to commence with the construction, the mosque’s efforts to pass a proposal were further delayed until 2011 despite the compromises the community made on the plans and adherence to zoning ordinances. DOJ Intervention On August 26, 2011, the United States Department of Justice filed a formal complaint against the city of Lilburn, Georgia (Case No. 1:11-mi-99999-UNA). The eleven-paged official document first recounted the previously described proposals and subsequent rejections. The complaint was filed for two main reasons: unfair treatment of the mosque, and lack of measures to ensure adherence to the Religious Land Use and Institutionalized Persons Act of 2000. In the twenty-seventh clause of the document, the Department of Justice notes the numerous Christian churches the City of Lilburn had approved for rezoning. They note, however, that although similarly planned and formatted, the Dar-e ‘Abbas Islamic Center was not treated in a similar manner. This lead the Department of Justice to formally accuse the City of Lilburn of discrimination on the basis of religion. Additionally, the Department of Justice noted in the twenty-eighth clause of the document, that there were no procedures or practices in place to ensure that the Religious Land Use and Institutionalized Persons Act of 2000 was not violated (Holder 2011). Third Proposal and Outcome Following the Department of Justice’s intervention, the plan for the Islamic center proposed in December of 2010 was approved. A founding member of the community, Wasi Zaidi, commented, "our neighbors might be mad now, but we love them" (Fox News 2011) After seven years of fundraising, more issues arose. A proposed expansion of the parking lot part of the 2011 proposal, which would add 178 spots, sparked further debate and disagreement amongst residents of Lilburn in 2018 when the construction was finally set to begin. The Islamic Center proposed the extra 178 spots would prevent members of the community from having to park in nearby parks and lots. Lilburn resident Donna Chapman, however, brought up the issue of traffic. “Say, if we needed the police or the firemen and traffic’s in the way, they couldn’t get here,” said Chapman, in a 2018 interview with the Atlanta Journal-Constitution (Coyne 2018, Nov 15). References Enter list of sources cited using the proper format. Local Coverage: Bernarde, Scott (2011, August 16). A Timeline Look at the Mosque Issue. Stone Mountain-Lithonia, GA Patch. Retrieved from https://patch.com/georgia/lilburn/a-timeline-look-at-the-mosque-issue Regional Coverage <ul> <li>Beasley, David (2009, December 17). Muslim Congregation Sues Over Lilburn Mosque. Global Atlanta. Retrieved from https://www.globalatlanta.com/muslim-congregation-sues-over-lilburn-mosque</li> <li>Anderson, Joel (2012, August 10). Mosque Dispute Divides Lilburn. The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. Retrieved from https://www.ajc.com/news/local/mosque-dispute-divides-lilburn/LvPOrdHdYiGajVPKkkaL8M</li> <li>Coyne, Amanda C. (2018, November 15). Lilburn Residents Object to Mosque Expansion at City Council Meeting. The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. Retrieved from https://www.ajc.com/news/local/lilburn-residents-object-mosque-expansion-city-council-meeting/xQmOmIc8y73kAHf64myx7O</li> </ul> National Coverage <ul> <li>Esterl, Mike (2011, August 17). Georgia mosque wins approval. The Wall Street Journal. Retrieved from https://www.wsj.com/articles/SB10001424053111903480904576513171323195258</li> <li>Fox News (2011, August 17). Controversial Georgia Mosque Wins Approval. Fox News. Retrieved from https://www.foxnews.com/us/controversial-georgia-mosque-wins-approval.</li> </ul> Additional Sources <ul> <li>Liu, J. (2012). Controversies over Mosques and Islamic Centers across the U.S. Pew Research Center's Forum on Religion & Public Life. Web.</li> <li>Holder, Eric H. (2011, August 11). United States of America v. City of Lilburn, Georgia. United States Department of Justice.</li> <li>Museum of History and Holocaust Education (n.d.). Community Histories. Understanding Islam in a Cross-Cultural Context. Retrieved from marb.kennesaw.edu/identities/exhibits/show/histories/atlanta-muslim-community</li> </ul> Last Updated Date revised. April 23, 2019 Year Year the case began. 2009 Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Description An account of the resource The congregation sought permission to expand two buildings into a 20,000-square-foot complex with a mosque, gym and cemetery. The Lilburn City Council rejected this proposal in November 2009 and a scaled-down proposal in December 2010. After the U.S. Department of Justice threatened to sue Lilburn, alleging religious discrimination, the city approved a modified proposal in August 2011. (Source: Liu 2012) Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Oxford College of Emory University Title A name given to the resource Lilburn, GA Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Alexander Cleveland, Ehren Fernandez, Andres Lebed Wright Approved Cemetery DOJ Expansion Lawsuit (RLUIPA) Mosque Planning and Zoning Under Construction https://usmc.oxomeka.org/files/original/a98ba9e17e53af7a0227cbfe5b7de890.jpeg 0ec0ff316857cace1cefdf1d1d929b18 Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Description An account of the resource This collection documents 29 cases of public opposition towards American Muslim cemetery building projects from 2002 to 2023. Each case contains a narrative that describes its events, which was compiled through analyzing newspaper archives via NewsBank and NexisUni. The primary challenge American Muslim communities face when establishing cemeteries is obtaining administrative approval from an entity such as a city council or board of commissioners. Residents' concerns related to groundwater contamination, lowered property values, and aesthetics often pressure authorities to deny cemetery projects. These reasons for opposition differ from those involving mosques, which tend to focus on increased traffic, violations of noise ordinances, and the potential for terrorism. This collection is more comprehensive than other compilations of cemetery cases, which cover a limited timeframe, are no longer current, or need to be updated (e.g., Pew Research Center 2012, Younes 2017, ACLU 2017, New America 2018, HuffPost 2024). However, it does not fully represent all controversies surrounding American Muslim cemeteries, as it focuses on post-2000 cases and does not include cases of vandalism against established cemeteries. Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Ryan Wang Title A name given to the resource Cemeteries Language A language of the resource English Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Oxford College of Emory University Contributor An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource Current and former Oxford College of Emory University students: Sofia Fonti, Ben Damon, Geneva Cunningham, Ameer Alnasser, Nadira Hassan, Chloe Peyrebrune, Lauren Yee, Ammarah Ahmed, Alexander Cleveland, Ehren Fernandez, Andres Lebed Wright, Bryce Bentinck, Rahim Khan Alidina, Ayman Badawy, George Drakos, Shahmeer Khan, and Snehitha Vardhineni. Project supervisor: Dr. Florian Pohl Case Use this Item Type to create the case Item Pages for the U.S. Mosque Controversies site. Case Number Enter the case number in this field using the format: Case No. XX_00 (e.g. Case No. Ga_01) Case No. Ga_09 Location The location of the interview Newton County, Georgia Date August-September 2016 Summary Enter a brief description of the case (no more than 600 characters). This should be one or two sentences. A Muslim community from Doraville encounters strong expressions of concern about their efforts to purchase property on the eastern side of Newton County where they intend to build a Muslim burial ground and mosque. Public opposition begins to be voiced after a local newspaper reports on the building project in early August. In reaction, Newton County’s Board of Commissioners imposes a moratorium on building permits for new places of worship and, a week later, holds public listening sessions on the issue. A subsequent BOC meeting to discuss lifting the moratorium is canceled because of security concerns over a demonstration by a militia group. The moratorium expires without any direct BOC action. The event receives national, and some international, news coverage. The cemetery project proceeds but the county passes a new ordinance requiring public hearings for the development of projects on sites of more than ten acres. Plus Code Enter the plus code for the location, if it is available. F3MJ+95 Oak Hill, Georgia Coordinates Enter the coordinates for the location, if they are available. 33°29'01.3"N 83°55'10.3"W Proposed Project 135-acre development for cemetery; future mosque, cemetery expansion, school as well as residential and open space Proposed By List the entity (legal entity or community name) that proposed the project. Al Maad Al Islami Inc., Masjid At-Taqwa Type of Opposition Public Campaign, Vandalism, Legal Action, Local Ordinance Local Ordinance (Public Protest) Outcome Rejected, Approved, Approved with Modifications The public campaign and actions by the Newton County Board of Commissioners slightly delayed the project, but the cemetery opened to begin operations in 2017. Narrative Enter the narrative about the case here. On August 9, 2016, local journalist Alice Queen reported that Al Maad Al Islami Inc., a non-profit organization from Doraville, had received administrative approval from Newton County to develop a 135-acre property for a mosque and cemetery (Queen, 2016, Aug 9). Current zoning regulations did not require rezoning to construct a religious site. The developer purchased the property in August 2015 and submitted preliminary conceptual plans for a 10.5-acre cemetery with a burial preparation accessory facility. Also included in the plans was space for a future mosque, cemetery expansion, school, and residential and open space. The announcement triggered significant public opposition, particularly concerning the lack of prior public knowledge and potential increases in traffic and noise (ibid.). Commissioner John Douglas, whose district the project was in, received numerous complaints from residents. He voiced concerns about the project's impact and suggested changing zoning ordinances for future developments. Douglas also questioned the need for such a development based on the Muslim population in the county. He speculated about the possibility of the federal government resettling refugees in the area. Asked Douglas, "[W]ould building those things make us a prime area for the federal government to resettle refugees from the Middle East?" (Queen, 2016, Aug 9). Emails made public later revealed Chairman Ellis's struggle in responding to the project. Ellis emphasized that while the mosque and cemetery required no approval, a conditional use permit would be necessary for the school. In a later interview with Public Radio International, Ellis admitted that "[a]s a Christian, I probably reacted in some of the same ways. I will have to admit that I was a little nervous for the future of Newton County" (Bell, 2016, Nov 30). Douglas was more direct in his approach and asked the Board of Commissioners to put the cemetery project on the agenda for the next meeting on August 16, 2016. In an email to a member of the local clergy, he urged, "[A] show of local residents would be helpful to back up our displeasure and desire to change the direction of this project" (Tegna, 2016, Sep 5). On August 16, 2016, a boisterous overflow crowd attended the Newton County Board of Commissioners meeting to express their anger over the project. During the meeting, Commissioner Douglas proposed, and the commissioners unanimously approved a five-week moratorium on permitting places of worship to review and amend zoning ordinances. Although the decision to impose the moratorium was greeted with cheers from many in attendance, the Georgia Chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR-GA) later described the action as discriminatory and called on the Department of Justice (DOJ) to investigate the case. Finally, because no public comment was allowed at this BOC meeting, the commissioners decided to hold a public hearing on Monday, August 22, in a public venue large enough to accommodate the interested public. Following the BOC meeting, oppositional momentum picked up on social media. A Facebook group calling itself STOP the Mosque in Newton County established itself as the most influential social media site through which opponents expressed their hostility to the project and organized action seeking to prevent it from going forward. This group gained significant traction and was later listed as an anti-Muslim hate group by the<a href="https://www.splcenter.org/fighting-hate/extremist-files/ideology/anti-muslim"> Southern Poverty Law Center</a>. In contrast, three Facebook groups supporting the mosque emerged but attracted far less attention. More than 600 citizens attended the public hearings on August 22, 2016. Due to limited space in the Historic Courthouse, two successive seatings were scheduled. Most speakers voiced strong opposition, with concerns ranging from traffic to fears of terrorism. Anxiety that the project would serve as an Al-Qaeda training camp or that it would lead to the imposition of Sharia law in the community could be heard as well (Bluestein, 2016, Aug 23). The public meetings received unflattering national press coverage (Islamophobia in the age of Trump, 2016, Aug 23). In response to the public hearing, CAIR Georgia held a joint press conference at the Atlanta Masjid of Al-Islam with the Georgia NAACP and other organizations on August 23. The press conference addressed the Islamophobic statements heard at the town hall meeting the previous night. It also provided an update on the DOJ's response to CAIR's call for a federal investigation. Edward Mitchell, Executive Director of CAIR-GA, said that the DOJ had agreed to review CAIR's request and was deciding whether to begin a formal probe. Mitchell also reported on local outreach activities to churches and community leaders in Newton County. At the same time as the press conference, a delegation of Newton County clergy and residents followed a lunch invitation from Imam Mohammad Islam to visit the Doraville community at Masjid At-Taqwa to get to know each other and build mutual trust (Lutz, Aug 23, 2016). The following week, the Newton County commissioners met with Masjid At-Taqwa and CAIR-GA representatives in closed-door meetings. The talks resulted in a joint statement on August 31, 2016, indicating that the moratorium would likely be lifted at a special meeting on September 13 (Burns, 2016, Aug 31). However, due to security concerns following threats from a militia group, the BOC canceled its meeting. The moratorium eventually expired on September 21, 2016, and CAIR-GA withdrew its request for a federal investigation. Despite this resolution, international press coverage continued after the moratorium's expiration (Teague, 2016, Oct 13; Younes, 2016, Nov 7). Following the moratorium's expiration, Commissioner Douglas made one more attempt to stop the project by requesting the county change its cemetery ordinance to require "leak-proof" caskets and vaults. Georgia law does not mandate embalming or caskets for burial. The planning board rejected Douglas's proposal at its October 25 meeting. Construction of the Daarul Barzakh Cemetery moved forward in the spring of 2017. An access road to the cemetery property was built, and the first funerals occurred. Outreach efforts by the members of Masjid At-Taqwa also continued. On April 21, 2018, the Muslim community invited its neighbors around the cemetery property and interested residents to a meet-and-greet luncheon. The gathering was preceded by a service event that was part of the Great American Cleanup, locally organized by Keep Covington and Newton Beautiful (KCNB). Three Oxford College students who participated in the event later published an op-ed piece about their experience in a local newspaper (Pace, 2018, May 21). Daarul Barzakh Cemetery remains operational, with plans for a funeral home as part of the next development stage. References <ul> <li style="font-weight:400;">Bell, M. (2016, November 30). A planned Muslim cemetery and mosque outside of Atlanta is still on hold. PRI’s The World. <a href="https://www.wgbh.org/news/2016-12-01/a-planned-muslim-cemetery-and-mosque-outside-of-atlanta-is-still-on-hold">Web</a>.</li> <li style="font-weight:400;">Bluestein, G. (2016, August 23). Feds weigh whether to investigate Newton County mosque debate. The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. <a href="https://www.ajc.com/blog/politics/feds-weigh-whether-investigate-newton-county-mosque-debate/ePAScV95yxfH6eig99S43O/">Web</a>.</li> <li style="font-weight:400;">Burns, S. (2016, August 31). Newton County to lift moratorium on mosque, cemetery. The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. <a href="https://www.ajc.com/news/local/newton-county-lift-moratorium-mosque-cemetery/BwSidKGAaY00D8cPeQlbWI/">Web</a>.</li> <li style="font-weight:400;">Islamophobia in the age of Trump. (2016, August 23). The Economist. <a href="https://www.economist.com/democracy-in-america/2016/08/23/islamophobia-in-the-age-of-trump">Web</a>.</li> <li style="font-weight:400;">Lutz, M. (2016, August 23). Newton County mosque fight might draw federal scrutiny. The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. <a href="https://www.ajc.com/news/local-govt--politics/newton-county-mosque-fight-might-draw-federal-scrutiny/5G0BS4JQZaAiR8smtK6rtO/">Web</a>.</li> <li style="font-weight:400;">Pace, L. (2018, May 21). Students share experience with Great American Cleanup,” [Column] The Covington News. <a href="https://www.covnews.com/living/religion/pace-students-share-experience-great-american-cleanup/">Web</a>.</li> <li style="font-weight:400;">Queen, A. (2016, August 9). Nonprofit plans to build mosque on Ga. Highway 162 in Newton County. Rockdale Citizen. <a href="https://www.rockdalenewtoncitizen.com/news/local/nonprofit-plans-to-build-mosque-on-ga-highway-162-in-newton-county/article_70b245e8-0979-54d3-9061-319302b83972.html">Web</a>.</li> <li style="font-weight:400;">Tegna (2016, September 5). Emails: Newton Commissioners wanted to ‘impact’ mosque, cemetery project. 11 Alive News. <a href="https://www.11alive.com/article/news/local/emails-newton-commissioner-wanted-to-impact-mosque-cemetery-project/85-313972997">Web</a>.</li> <li style="font-weight:400;">Teague, M. (2016, October 13). Armed ‘3%’ militia fights against proposed mosque in tiny Georgia town. The Guardian. <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2016/oct/13/three-percent-militia-georgia-muslim-mosque-isis-doraville#:~:text=Armed%20'3%25'%20militia%20fights%20against%20proposed%20mosque%20in%20tiny%20Georgia%20town,-This%20article%20is&text=A%20Muslim%20congregation%20in%20central,ground%20for%20the%20Islamic%20State.">Web</a>.</li> <li style="font-weight:400;">Younes, A. (2016, November 7). American Muslims brace for the worst after US election. Aljazeera. <a href="https://www.aljazeera.com/features/2016/11/7/american-muslims-brace-for-the-worst-after-us-election">Web</a>.</li> </ul> Last Updated Date revised. June 10, 2024 Year Year the case began. 2016 Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Newton County, GA Description An account of the resource A Doraville Muslim community meets public resistance to buying land in Newton County for a burial ground. Due to controversy, the county pauses worship building permits and holds public listening sessions about the proposed project. A subsequent BOC meeting to discuss lifting the moratorium is canceled because of security concerns over a demonstration by a militia group. The event gains national and international news coverage. The cemetery project advances, prompting a new county ordinance mandating hearings for projects on sites over ten acres. Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Oxford College of Emory University Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Florian Pohl Approved Built CAIR Cemetery Legislation Planning and Zoning Public Campaign Public Speech