1 10 8 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 Florida Case Use this Item Type to create the case Item Pages for the U.S. Mosque Controversies site. Date 1996 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 Clearwater, FL https://usmc.oxomeka.org/files/original/754c95cd6fdf4bdd83003e879d0d977a.jpg 4acc39a6203b3894f471ef7c10cb6a12 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.icbr.org/th_gallery/masjid-construction-6/ 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 Florida 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_01 Location The location of the interview Boca Raton, FL Date 2003 Address Enter the full address, if it is available. 3480 NW 5th Ave, Boca Raton, FL 33431 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 Boca Raton, FL https://usmc.oxomeka.org/files/original/4a6d8fa59390954437d6a9ec4b7f836d.JPG cacf5a218f9817793739645c0f75c8b8 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 Florida 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. Fl_03 Location The location of the interview White City, FL Date November 2008-February 2009 Narrative Enter the narrative about the case here. It took the Muslim Friends of Florida almost a decade before they could celebrate Ramadan in their own Islamic center. Their first attempt to build a mosque on a 3-acre lot in White City encountered substantial community opposition when MFF submitted its proposal to St. Lucie County in 2008. Eventually, a compromise was found that allowed MFF to receive the necessary permits from the county, but the project never moved to construction because of financial difficulties. It would take another five years before MFF, now operating as the Islamic Association of Treasure Coast, established the Islamic Center of Treasure Coast at its current location in Fort Pierce. In 2008, the MFF made plans for a purpose-built mosque in a rural area of White City. The group had been in the Treasure Coast region since the early 1970s where its members had participated in prayer services at other area mosques. The plan for their own mosque took concrete form in November 2008 when the group submitted a proposal for an 18,000-square-foot facility replete with Islamicate architectural elements including a dome and spire. In addition to a prayer hall for an estimated average of 50 worshippers during Friday prayers, the building also included space for social and educational events (Pfahler, 2008, December 4). A rezoning application was required because only one of the two parcels on which the structure was to be built had been zoned for a house of worship. The other was zoned for residential development. Public opposition was first formed at a Planning Commission meeting in November and a public information session MFF held to discuss the project with the community. It reached a peak at the subsequent County Commission meeting on December 4. More than 100 residents were in attendance. Most of those speaking out against the mosque during the three-hour public comment section cited concerns about the proposed project’s size, drainage issues, and negative effects on property values. A property appraiser who spoke on behalf of opposing residents reinforced the concern over property values by comparing the project to the construction of a Home Depot in a residential zone (Westbury, 2008, December 4). The project had come before the County Commission with a 7-2 recommendation for approval from the Planning Commission, which in turn had followed staff recommendation for approval. The County Commission, however, tabled the vote on the project with the understanding that MFF would bring back a scaled-down site plan for approval at the next regularly scheduled meeting in February. "We have micromanaged this particular property beyond anything I've ever seen,” remarked one of the Commissioners at the end of the initial re-zoning hearing (Pfahler, 2008, December 4). The County Commission eventually approved MFF’s smaller site plan for a 14,400-square feet facility at its February meeting over strong opposition from local residents. Despite the eventual approval, the project never came to fruition for financial reasons. To accommodate their members’ persistent need for worship space, MFF first rented a storefront in Fort Pierce for several years before finally acquiring a former church building for its Islamic center. In June 2015, just in time for Ramadan celebrations, the new Islamic Center of Treasure Coast opened. References <ul> <li>Pfahler, Eric. (2008, Dec 04). St. Lucie to revisit proposal to build White City mosque. TCPalm. Retrieved from <a href="http://www.tcpalm.com/news/2008/dec/04/st-lucie-to-revisit-proposal-to-build-white-city">www.tcpalm.com</a>. </li> <li>Westbury, Anthony.(2008, Dec 4). Mosque debate shines dim light on community. TCPalm. Retrieved from <a href="https://www.tcpalm.com/story/opinion/columnists/anthony-westbury/2017/04/28/anthony-westbury-mosque-debate-shinesdim-light-community/101023194">www.tcpalm.com</a>.</li> </ul> Plus Code Enter the plus code for the location, if it is available. 9MW4+98 White City, Florida Coordinates Enter the coordinates for the location, if they are available. 27.395971, -80.344158 Proposed Project The submitted side plan details a 18,000-square-foot facility with Islamicate architectural elements including a prayer hall for an estimated average of 50 worshippers as well as space for social and educational events. The property is partially zoned for religious use. Proposed By List the entity (legal entity or community name) that proposed the project. Muslim Friends of Floridan (dba <a href="http://ictcfl.org">Islamic Association of Treasure Coast</a>) Type of Opposition Public Campaign, Vandalism, Legal Action, Local Ordinance public campaign Outcome Rejected, Approved, Approved with Modifications The revised plan receives the county’s approval despite continued public opposition. The project, however, never gets built for financial reasons. Last Updated Date revised. June 12, 2021 Summary Enter a brief description of the case (no more than 600 characters). This should be one or two sentences. The St. Lucie County Commission eventually passes a scaled-down site plan for a mosque over strong public opposition. A rezoning application is required because only one of the two parcels on which the structure is to be built is zoned for a house of worship. County staff and the Planning Commission recommend approval over concerns from residents about the project's size and its impacts on the environment and property values. After three hours of public comments, the County Commission strikes a compromise and asks the Muslim community to submit a downsized site plan for approval. The revised plan receives the county’s approval despite continued public opposition but never gets built for financial reasons. Year Year the case began. 2008 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 White City, FL Description An account of the resource In February 2009, the Muslim Friends of Florida eventually receive approval from the St. Lucie County Commission for a scaled-down version of a site-plan they had proposed the previous year. The approval follows months of public opposition that reaches its peak at a County Commission meeting in December 2008. The meeting is attended by more than 100 residents. Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Stewart Zelnick Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Oxford College of Emory University Approved Mosque Not Built Public Campaign https://usmc.oxomeka.org/files/original/b34eeb93547e9c598b29d2be90e1fa14.png ea528620159bfb47f4e09b04e0968baf 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 Florida 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. Fl_06 Location The location of the interview Windermere, FL Date March-August 2016 Summary Enter a brief description of the case (no more than 600 characters). This should be one or two sentences. Residents of Windermere, Florida push back against a planned mosque in a residential area along the northern shore of Lake Mabel. The project, a 6,900-square-foot mosque in Spanish architectural style, requires a special exception under Orange County’s zoning regulations. Opponents comment mostly on the impact the mosque would have on the area’s rural nature, but during information meetings about the planned project and at the meeting before the Orange County Board of Zoning Adjustments negative statements about Islam and mosques creep into the conversation as well. After more than two hours of presentations, public comment, and deliberations, the BAZ votes unanimously (5-0) to deny the Muslim community’s request for a special exception. Address Enter the full address, if it is available. 8806 Winter Garden Vineland Rd, Orlando, FL 32836 Plus Code Enter the plus code for the location, if it is available. CFP6+V5 Orlando, Florida Proposed Project The Muslim community submits plans for a 6,900-square-foot mosque in Spanish architectural style. The project requires a special exception under Orange County’s zoning regulations. Proposed By List the entity (legal entity or community name) that proposed the project. Windermere Religious Center Outcome Rejected, Approved, Approved with Modifications The BZA denies the Muslim community’s request for a special exeption. Following the denial, the Islamic Center of Orlando opens a prayer room (musholla) in a rental property at a different location in Windermere. Last Updated Date revised. June 3, 2021 Narrative Enter the narrative about the case here. As in other metro areas around the country, the Muslim community’s growth in Orlando was prompting some Islamic centers to expand facilities and others to establish new houses of worship in underserved areas. In early 2016, a local Muslim group loosely affiliated with the Islamic Center of Orlando, which in the same year would seek permission from Orange County to expand its main facility on Ruby Lake Road (Baqureo, 2016), was planning to build a new mosque in a residential area along the northern shore of Lake Mabel. The Windermere Religious Center, a 6,900-square-foot mosque in Spanish architectural style, required a special exception under Orange County’s zoning regulations. After several public information sessions with subsequent revisions to the proposal, the Orange County Board of Zoning Adjustments (BZA) denied the Muslim community’s request for a special exception. The land for the Windermere Religious Center was zoned rural-county estate (R-CE), which allowed for houses of worship as special-exception use. The property was privately owned by a member of the local Muslim community, who wanted to donate the land to construct the mosque. Initial plans envisioned a structure that could accommodate up to 120 worshippers (Kerr 2016). At two public information meetings in March and July, the developer introduced the project emphasizing that “the applicant had worked hard to make the facility as aesthetically pleasing and screened as possible in [an] attempt to appease nearby residents” (Hendrix, 2016). The building consciously emulated the architectural style of the area’s upscale residential homes. It did not include visibly Islamicate elements such as a minaret or dome. Other changes to the initial plans that followed from concerns expressed at the information sessions included restrictions on lighting and noise (ibid.). Residents remained overwhelmingly opposed to the project. Concerns focused mostly on expected changes to the area’s rural character and on the mosque’s environmental impact. “Any large facility would take away from what makes the area a great place to live,” stated one local resident (“Residents Fight Mosque Plan,” 2016, March 11). At the two public information meetings with developers and county officials, residents reiterated that the project was out of place in a low-density residential area with single-family homes. The environmental impact of the development on wetlands and the lake’s water level was a matter of concern as well (Kerr, 2016, March 31). Although zoning issues were at the forefront of the debate, religious intolerance also appeared to be a motivating factor for some in the opposition. "[T]here were some indirect accusations of what Islam and what mosques have,” remarked Rasha Mubarak, a member of the Muslim community, after the first public meeting (“Proposed Mosque,” 2016, March 17). She continued, "Some people were very clear and precise with not wanting our religion there" (ibid.). The opposition included people from outside Windermere, such as Michael Johnson, with a history of opposing Muslim building projects in the Orlando metro area. In addition to presenting petitions he had collected against the mosque, Johnson spoke before the Board of Zoning Adjustments alleging the Muslim community deliberately had provided “erroneous and false information” in its application. After more than two hours of presentations, public comment, and deliberations, the Orange County Board of Zoning Adjustments (BZA) voted unanimously (5-0) to deny the Muslim community’s request for a special exception at its August 4 meeting. In introducing the case to the BZA, county staff had expressed concerns regarding the development primarily because it would introduce non-residential use into an otherwise residential area, which was rural in nature. Staff also noted that other religious institutions of comparable size had been approved in the same zone within a .5-mile radius but that these were closer to more densely populated areas. The Muslim community was represented by the engineering team who in their presentation sought to demonstrate that the application fulfilled the county’s six requirements for a special exception. Public comments were evenly split between those speaking in favor and against the project. Opponents underscored their apprehension over potential future growth and increased attendance by showing pictures of overflow parking at the Islamic Center of Orlando’s central mosque on Ruby Lake Road. At least one of the BZA members echoed the concern. It took the BZA fewer than ten minutes to deliberate after the public comment section had been closed. The motion to deny the special exception carried unanimously (5-0). “We want to be inclusive, but it’s not the right project for this particular lot,” explained the chair of the board as he closed the meeting. The denial came at a time of increased vulnerability of Muslim communities following the June 2016 nightclub shooting in Orlando. In the incident’s wake, numerous mosques in Florida, and across the U.S., were subject to <a href="http://cbs12.com/news/local/south-florida-mosques-receive-letters-calling-for-genocide">intimidation campaigns</a>. Other mosques and Islamic centers in Florida such as the <a href="https://usmc.ecdsomeka.org/items/show/18">Al-Amin Islamic Center</a> were vandalized or, like the <a href="https://www.icfp-fl.com/">Islamic Center of Fort Pierce</a>, targets of arson attacks. But the denial also was reminiscent of earlier difficulties for Windermere Muslims to establish a house of worship in the area. In 2014, the County had rejected a special exception petition by a Muslim couple to construct a mosque on a vacant lot northeast of Lake Tibet. With 13,000 square feet, the mosque would have been nearly twice as large as the one proposed by the Windermere Religious Center (Wood, 2016, August 19). The Windermere area to this date lacks a purpose-built mosque or Islamic center. To address the worship needs of Muslim residents of Windermere, Lake Mable, Lake Tibet, and Lake Butler, the <a href="https://www.icorlando.org/">Islamic Center of Orlando</a> recently established a prayer space, the Windermere Musholla, in a commercial property in Winter Garden. References <ul> <li>Baquero, Gaby. (2016, December 1). Mosque seeks expansion. Windermere Observer (Winter Garden, FL), p. A1. Retrieved from <a href="https://infoweb-newsbank-com.proxy.library.emory.edu/apps/news/document-view?%20p=WORLDNEWS&docref=news/16171242F31898D0.">https://infoweb-newsbank-com</a>.</li> <li>Hendrix, Danielle. (2016, July 28). More details emerge about proposed mosque. Southwest Orange Observers, p. 1. Retrieved from <a href="https://infoweb-newsbank-com.proxy.library.emory.edu/apps/news/document-view?%20p=WORLDNEWS&docref=news/15EB41890A680830.">https://infoweb-newsbank-com</a>.</li> <li>Kerr, Zak. (2016, March 31). Developers introduce plans for mosque. Windermere Observer (Winter Garden, FL), p. 5. Retrieved from <a href="https://infoweb-newsbank-com.proxy.library.emory.edu/apps/news/document-view?%20p=WORLDNEWS&docref=news/15CAEC12B5DC6420">https://infoweb-newsbank-com</a>.</li> <li>Kerr, Zak. (2016, March 25). Community meeting addresses mosque. Windermere Observer. Retrieved from <a>www.orangeobserver.com</a>.</li> <li>Proposed mosque has some Windermere residents concerned. (2016, March 17). ABC - 9 WFTV: Web Edition Articles (Orlando, FL). Retrieved from <a href="https://infoweb-newsbank-com.proxy.library.emory.edu/apps/news/document-view?%20p=WORLDNEWS&docref=news/15BA9B9B1B1F5C00.">https://infoweb-newsbank-com</a>.</li> <li>Residents fight mosque plan on Windermere Road. (2016, March 11). ABC - 9 WFTV: Web Edition Articles (Orlando, FL). Retrieved from <a href="https://infoweb-newsbank-com.proxy.library.emory.edu/apps/news/document-view?%20p=WORLDNEWS&docref=news/15B8FB3830882DD8">https://infoweb-newsbank-com</a>.</li> <li>Wood, Debra. (2016, August 19). Keene’s Pointe resident hopes to build mosque: Many express concern over land use. Southwest Orlando Bulletin. Retrieved from <a href="https://www.southwestorlandobulletin.com/keenes-pointe-resident-hopes-build-mosque.">www.southwestorlandobulletin.com</a>. </li> </ul> Year Year the case began. 2016 Type of Opposition Public Campaign, Vandalism, Legal Action, Local Ordinance Public Campaign, Planning and Zoning 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 Windermere, FL Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Stewart Zelnick Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Oxford College of Emory University Description An account of the resource In early August 2016 and after more than two hours of presentations, public comment, and deliberations, the Orange County Board of Zoning Adjustments votes unanimously to deny the Muslim community’s request for a special exception to build a mosque in a residential area along the northern shore of Lake Mabel. Opponents comment mostly on the impact the mosque would have on the area’s rural nature, but during information meetings about the planned project and at the meeting before the BZA negative statements about Islam and mosques creep into the conversation as well. Denied Mosque Not Built Planning and Zoning Public Campaign https://usmc.oxomeka.org/files/original/75778b4520841ac347cdce80f58b4df8.jpg a8bdf0b208d3fb0c30605dadef856d82 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 Florida 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. FL_07 Location The location of the interview Port St. Lucie, FL Date February-April 2017 Summary Enter a brief description of the case (no more than 600 characters). This should be one or two sentences. Residents protest at a commission meeting against a potential proposal for a mosque within the city of Port. St. Lucie. The Treasure Coast Islamic Society had created a GoFundMe project to help raise $200,000 to purchase a vacant storefront formerly occupied by the Church on the Rock to use as a mosque and weekend Islamic school. The seller did not accept the Muslim community’s purchase offer. By the time of the city commission meeting, the property had already come under contract and was later sold to a Haitian church. Residents, however, continued to mobilize on Facebook and spoke at the commission meeting to decry the possibility of a mosque in the city. Address Enter the full address, if it is available. 1481 SW Bougainvillea Ave, Port St. Lucie, FL 34953 Plus Code Enter the plus code for the location, if it is available. 7J74+WG Port St. Lucie, Florida Proposed Project The Muslim community seeks to use a vacant storefront formerly occupied by a church for use as mosque and weekend Islamic school. It does not require city approval. Proposed By List the entity (legal entity or community name) that proposed the project. Treasure Coast Islamic Society Type of Opposition Public Campaign, Vandalism, Legal Action, Local Ordinance public campaign; bias-related incident Outcome Rejected, Approved, Approved with Modifications The seller does not accept the Muslim community’s purchase offer and sells the property to a Haitian church. Narrative Enter the narrative about the case here. Founded in late 2016, the Treasure Coast Islamic Society (TCIS) sought to purchase a building in the city of Port St. Lucie, FL to serve as a house of worship and a weekend Islamic school for local Muslim residents. It would have been the first mosque within the city limits. The Muslim community made an offer on a storefront building occupied by the Church on the Rock that had recently come up for sale. Although the offer was unsuccessful and the building soon came under contract by another Christian community, local opposition to the TCIS’s plan for a new masjid in Port St. Lucie had already been mobilized on social media between February and April in response to a GoFundMe campaign TCIS had created to raise funds to purchase the church property. Public opposition came to a head at a city commission meeting in late April. In anticipation of protests, city officials had increased the police presence at the meeting on April 24, 2017. Opponents speaking out before the city commission against a potential mosque expressed concerns about the anticipated level of noise from daily calls to prayer and expressed fear that the mosque would become a security threat. Some supporters of the local Muslim community attended the meeting but sharply anti-Muslim points of view dominated the public comment section. A local newspaper reported that few who spoke at the city commission meeting were residents of Port St. Lucie but had arrived from outside the city (Rodriguez 2017). Opponents’ statements raised suspicion of Muslims describing Islam as incompatible with and dangerous to America with statements such as, “We don’t need to hear five times a day their prayer. Their culture. You don’t do it here. We are American” (quoted in McRoberts 2017); “I think it’s a bad idea. I don’t think it should happen. We are a Christian nation, we always have been and that should be respected” (quoted in Buczyner 2017); and “Fifteen to 20 percent of their population seeks to destroy and kill you and me” (quoted in Rodriguez 2017). To raise the specter of extremist violence, speakers made reference to Omar Mateen who had attended the Islamic Center of Fort Pierce twenty miles north of Port St. Lucie. Mateen had committed the mass shooting at the Pulse nightclub in Orlando the year before on June 12. City officials responded to the concerns expressed at the meeting by pointing out that the city had not received any official permitting request for a local mosque but that any such request would be treated in accordance with local zoning regulations that pertained to all houses of worship regardless of the specifics of an applicant’s religion. In the case of an application to operate a house of worship out of a vacant storefront with fewer than 3,000 square feet of space--as would have been the case with the building of the former Church on the Rock-- no approval would be required. In his remarks at the city commission meeting, Mayor Greg Oravec went beyond clarifying the city’s permitting process to remind opponents that constitutional rights are afforded to all citizens saying, “We don’t get to pick and choose which freedoms are afforded to our citizens, or to pick and choose among our citizens. We fight for them all” (quoted in McRoberts 2017). Public response to the city council meeting criticized the anti-Muslim statements made by opponents but generally lauded the city’s response to the controversy. A spokesperson for the Florida office of the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR-FL) rejected opponents’ religious intolerance as a threat to the wider community (Rodriguez 2017), whereas the editorial board of The Stewart News gave the mayor a “thumbs-up” for his handling of the controversy and praised his public remarks that the rights and freedoms protected in the U.S. Constitution also applied to Muslim Americans (Thumbs up 2017). The members of the TCIS responded to the controversy with the commitment to continue their search for a suitable place for their community to meet and practice their religion (Byczyner 2017). Current data on mosques and Islamic centers in the area of St. Lucie County, however, suggests that the community has not yet realized its plan. The opposition to the plans of the Treasure Coast Islamic Society to open a mosque in Port St. Lucie occurred, as mentioned above, in the wake of the Pulse nightclub shooting in neighboring Orlando. The Islamic Center of Fort Pierce, which the shooter had attended, had been subject to threats and intimidation campaigns in 2016 (Broad 2016, June 17; Elliott 2016, June 27). An attack on an individual community member in front of the Islamic center was reported in July 2016 (Tishchenko 2016, July 3). The campaign against the Islamic Center of Fort Pierce culminated in an arson attack on September 12, 2016. The fire destroyed parts of the historic building that housed the Islamic center, formerly known as Dutton Memorial Church, and caused the community to relocate to a new property in Fort Pierce the following year. Anti-Muslim mobilization, however, was not a new phenomenon. The events in 2016 and 2017 had been preceded by other cases of opposition to Muslim building projects in St. Lucie County. Prior cases included local opposition to a proposed mosque in 2008 [FL_03] and a Muslim cemetery in 2013 [FL_05], both in White City. References <ul> <li>Buczyner, Michael. (2017, April 25). Religion rift in Port St. Lucie as Muslim group plans to build mosque. CBS-12 News. Retrieved from <a href="https://cbs12.com/news/local/religion-rift-in-port-st-lucie-as-muslim-group-plans-to-build-mosque">https://cbs12.com/news/local/religion-rift-in-port-st-lucie-as-muslim-group-plans- to-build-mosque</a>.</li> <li>McRoberts, Meghan. (2017, April 25). Rumored mosque in Port St. Lucie sparks controversy: City leaders say no plan to build mosque. NBC-5 WPTV. Retrieved from <a href="https://www.wptv.com/news/region-st-lucie-county/port-st-lucie/rumored-mosque-in-port-st-lucie-sparks-controversy-city-leaders-say-there-is-no-plan">https://www.wptv.com/news/region-st-lucie- county/port-st-lucie/rumored-mosque-in-port-st-lucie-sparks-controversy-city-leaders-say-there-is-no-plan</a>.</li> <li>Rodriguez, Nicole. (2017, April 26). Shaping our future - Church won’t be purchased by Muslim group. St. Lucie News Tribune. Available from NewsBank: Access World News – Historical and Current: https://infoweb-newsbank-com.</li> <li>Rodriguez, Nicole. (2017, April 25). Potential mosque sparks debate - Concern voiced at PSL council meeting. St. Lucie News Tribune (Fort Pierce, FL). Available from NewsBank: Access World News – Historical and Current: https://infoweb-newsbank-com.</li> <li>Rodriquez, Nicole. (2017, April 25). Port St. Lucie church won't be purchased by Muslim group for mosque. TCPalm. Retrieved from <a href="https://www.tcpalm.com/story/news/local/shaping-our-future/property-values/2017/04/25/port-st-lucie-church-wont-purchased-muslim-group-mosque/100878316">https://www.tcpalm.com/story/news/local/shaping-our-future/property-values/2017/04/ 25/port-st-lucie-church-wont-purchased-muslim-group-mosque/100878316</a>.</li> <li>Thumbs up - Port St. Lucie mayor gets it right on mosque. (2017, April 29). The Stuart News. Available from NewsBank: Access World News – Historical and Current: https://infoweb-newsbank-com.</li> <li>Westbury, Anthony. (2017, Apr 28). In mosque protest, we really showed our ugly side again. TCPalm. Retrieved from <a href="https://www.tcpalm.com/story/opinion/columnists/anthony-westbury/2017/04/28/anthony-westbury-mosque-protest-we-reallyshowed-our-ugly-side-again-video/100948524">https://www.tcpalm.com/story/opinion/columnists/anthony-westbury/2017/04/28/anthony- westbury-mosque-protest-we-reallyshowed-our-ugly-side-again-video/100948524</a>.</li> </ul> Last Updated Date revised. June 22, 2020 Year Year the case began. 2017 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 Port St. Lucie, FL Description An account of the resource In late April 2017, residents protest at a city commission meeting against a potential proposal for a mosque by the Treasure Coast Islamic Society in the City of Port. St. Lucie. By the time of the city commission meeting, the property is already under contract to be sold to a Haitian church. Residents, however, continue to mobilize on Facebook and speak at the commission meeting to decry the possibility of a mosque in the city. Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Stewart Zelnick Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Oxford College of Emory University Mosque Not Built Prior Church Use Public Campaign https://usmc.oxomeka.org/files/original/6249f0368c74ed42607be16e5e03897e.jpg d9ae4c74651cc4515a711d130b21b62d 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 Florida 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. Fl_08 Location The location of the interview Orange County, FL Date February-April 2018 Summary Enter a brief description of the case (no more than 600 characters). This should be one or two sentences. The Aisha Cultural Centers seeks to convert a landscaping warehouse into a community center to provide youth programs and social services. Planning staff recommends approval, but the county’s Board of Zoning Adjustments (BZA) votes to deny the center’s application for a special exception because of concern over a petition signed by residents in opposition to the planned center. The Board of County Commissioners does not follow the BZA’s recommendation and votes unanimously to approve the center’s application. Commissioners note that the opposition includes many members of the public not residing in the vicinity of the proposed site and that concerns over additional traffic and noise had been addressed. Address Enter the full address, if it is available. 1311 Hancock Lone Palm Rd, Orlando, FL 32828 Proposed Project The Aisha Cultural Center seeks to convert a landscaping warehouse into a community center to provide youth programs and social services. Although the zoning allows for religious land use, a special exception is required because the county’s future land use designation is not consistent with the underlying zoning. Proposed By List the entity (legal entity or community name) that proposed the project. <a href="http://aishacenter.com/">Aisha Cultural Center</a> Type of Opposition Public Campaign, Vandalism, Legal Action, Local Ordinance public campaign; administrative denial [initial] Outcome Rejected, Approved, Approved with Modifications The Board of County Commissioners does not follow the BZA’s recommendation for denial but instead votes unanimously to approve the application with eleven conditions that had been recommended by planning staff. The project is in the first phase of construction. Narrative Enter the narrative about the case here. The Islamic nonprofit Aisha Cultural Center Inc. (ACC) has been offering religious, educational, and social activities to the East Orlando Muslim community at its location on South Alafaya Trail since 2014. In 2017, it purchased a former landscaping warehouse on the east side of Orange County to expand services such as youth programs and college prep tutoring. ACC applied for a special exception to allow a religious facility with ancillary uses, including worshipping, social services, evening gatherings, and SAT programs. The application also included a request for a variance to allow unpaved overflow parking. Although the property was zoned agricultural (A-2, farmland rural district), which allowed for religious land use, a special exception was required because the county’s future land use designation (low-medium density residential) was not consistent with the underlying A-2 zoning. Upon receiving ACC’s application, county planning staff sent out 85 notifications to residents in a 600-ft radius of the property for a community meeting on January 10, 2017, to explain the proposed project and answer questions. No members of the public attended the meeting. The Aisha Cultural Center’s application for a special exception was placed on the agenda for a regularly scheduled meeting of Orange County’s Board of Zoning Adjustment (BZA) on February 1, 2018. Meeting all code criteria, the proposal came to the BZA with a staff recommendation for approval. The attorney for ACC, Tara Tedrow, presented the proposal highlighting, among others, that Orange County Transportation Planning had determined the project would produce de minimis traffic impacts. Furthermore, previously, two other religious communities in the vicinity of the proposed site had been granted a special exception for their religious facilities. During the public comment section, no member of the public spoke up in support of the project. Opposition was represented foremost by Michael Johnson, to whom several other speakers yielded their time. Johnson was given six minutes to address the BZA. (Johnson stated he lived about six miles from the proposed site. However, the address he provided as his residence places him at least 22 miles from the site, according to GoogleMaps.) Before the meeting, the BZA had received 30 to 40 letters expressing opposition to the development. Johnson presented additional petitions to the BZA. Most of the concerns expressed on the petitions were related to the expectation of extra traffic and noise. At least one of the letters expressed Islamophobic sentiments reading, "Keep terrorism out – No to this political system. I don't want the troubles Europe has." The BZA determined that about 40 petitions had come from residents near the proposed site. Johnson also raised concern that the fundraising page on the ACC’s website had included references to additional plans such as a soccer field not included in the official application for the special exception. Concerns about alleged omissions were repeated in a subsequent presentation by Allen Korman, who indicated that he had worked with Johnson to collect the petitions from residents. Korman, who stated he lived about 8.5 miles from the subject property, charged that ACC had omitted activities such as communal Friday prayers and activities by the Aisha School that would lead to occupancy at the proposed site beyond the submitted capacity. ACC’s legal counsel Tedrow responded to comments clarifying that the proposed community center was a low-use facility to provide social and educational services. It would operate separately from the ACC’s property on Alafaya Trail, pictures of which had been shown in the presentations by Johnson and Korman. Tedrow specified further that ACC had worked with county staff and followed their advice when preparing a site plan that was consistent with the surrounding community's character and low-intensity development plans. In their subsequent deliberations, the BZA members expressed low concern over the impact on traffic and noise. Members also voiced that they were surprised by the interest and involvement of residents from outside the immediate vicinity. The unanimous vote to recommend denial of the application acknowledged that about 40 of the petitions in opposition to the project seemed to originate with residents who the project could directly impact. The Board of County Commissioners did not follow the BZA’s recommendation of denial but instead voted unanimously to approve the application for a special exception at its regular meeting on April 10, 2018. Information presented in support of the application included an additional traffic study ACC had performed on March 23. The survey result confirmed the de minimis traffic impacts found by Orange County Transportation Planning. The public comment period lasted about 60 minutes. During that period some of the speakers who had signed up to speak against the project ceded their time to Michael Johnson. Opponents cited arguments made earlier at the BZA meeting over traffic and noise. Different from the previous BZA meeting, however, the public comment section also included statements of support from several community members in attendance. Commissioners acknowledged that the project was consistent with county regulations and that the additional traffic study had eased any concern over adverse traffic impacts on the surrounding community. Orange County Mayor Teresa Jacob expressed surprise that many of the opponents did not live near the proposed site. “I can’t recall when all but one person who was opposed were from outside the area and many were from outside of the county,” the mayor said during deliberations. The BCC voted unanimously to approve the application with eleven conditions recommended by the planning staff. They added that the county’s traffic division would reassess traffic conditions every other year to make appropriate recommendations on whether traffic control would be required for future events at the site. The involvement of members of the public opposing the project even though they did not live close to the proposed site was a recurring matter of concern during the deliberations over ACC’s application. In the only available news coverage of the county commission’s meeting on April 10, Channel 9 reported that four residents living close to the site had told reporters they either had not heard anything about the project or thought the petition seemed deceptive. One resident who had signed a petition is quoted stating, “I was just kind of stronghanded into signing a petition I didn’t really know anything about. Pretty much the minute I asked for more information, they kind of walked away” (Seaborn, 2108). A member of ACC who lived in the community close to the site was said to have experienced similarly misleading tactics when Johnson and a partner were canvassing the community around the site for signatures against the project. Johnson had a history of involvement in opposition to building projects by the Muslim community in Orange County. In 2016 he was part of the opposition against a mosque proposed in the town of Windermere (Kerr, 2016). The proposed site was more than 30 miles from his stated residence in Seminole County, FL. References Kerr, Z. (2016, March 31). Developers introduce plans for mosque. Windermere Observer (Winter Garden, FL), p. 5. Retrieved from <a href="https://infoweb-newsbank-com.proxy.library.emory.edu/apps/news/document-view?%20p=WORLDNEWS&docref=news/15CAEC12B5DC6420.">https://infoweb-newsbank-com</a>. Seabrook, L. (2018, April 10). ‘Keep terrorists out’: Residents write to commissioners in response to new Islamic center. ABC-9 WFTV. Retrieved from<a href="https://www.wftv.com/news/local/keep-terrorists-out-residents-write-to-commissioners-in-response-to-new-islamic-center/730348902"> www.wftv.com</a>. Last Updated Date revised. June 10, 2021 Year Year the case began. 2018 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 Orange County, FL Description An account of the resource In April 2018, the Orange County Board of Commissioners votes to grant the Aisha Cultural Center permission for a special exception to convert a landscaping warehouse into a community center. Despite the planning staff’s recommendation for approval, the county’s Board of Zoning Adjustments (BZA) earlier had voted to deny the center’s request because of concern over a petition signed by residents in opposition to the planned center. Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Stewart Zelnick Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Oxford College of Emory University Approved Community Center Public Campaign Under Construction https://usmc.oxomeka.org/files/original/f3dac1baf0ae487bb4b13734616127b6.png 8369294a5b8bd65a0378f9108fe59010 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 Alamin Center in Boynton Beach targeted and defaced with words of hate [Online image]. Retrieved from https://www.sun-sentinel.com/local/palm-beach/boynton-beach/fl-boynton-mosque-signs-vandalized-20161103-story.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/. Title A name given to the resource Florida 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. Fl_04 Location The location of the interview West Boynton Beach, FL Date April 2011- [?] Summary Enter a brief description of the case (no more than 600 characters). This should be one or two sentences. After a small group of Muslims continued to congregate for prayers in Boynton Beach, Florida, they finally decided to purchase a property to build a mosque, now known as the Al-Amin Center of Florida. Many of the residents were upset because the construction of the mosque had been approved without their consent. They thought that the mosque would cause disruption and be a distraction to many living in the area. The Al-Amin Center of Florida was constructed and finished building though many had issues with the construction. Address Enter the full address, if it is available. 8101 South Military Trail, Boynton Beach Florida, 33436 Proposed Project Islamic Center; Mosque; Cemetery; School. According to the congregation’s architect, Saleh Elrowney, the project will encompass a 17,000 square foot building that includes the mosque, a Sunday school, a courtyard, and administrative offices. The mosque will also be built with an influence in Mediterranean Spanish architecture Proposed By List the entity (legal entity or community name) that proposed the project. <a href="http://alamincenterflorida.org/">Al- Amin Center of Florida</a> Type of Opposition Public Campaign, Vandalism, Legal Action, Local Ordinance Public Campaign/Protests, Vandalism/Threat Outcome Rejected, Approved, Approved with Modifications Approved as proposed; finished construction. Current Status: The mosque ended up being built. However, around the same time of the 2016 election, with Trump’s proposal of a Muslim ban, Al-Amin Center of Florida had vandalism on their signs as well as threats. Narrative Enter the narrative about the case here. In 2011, a group of Muslims planned to build a mosque in West Boynton Beach, Florida. They had been renting space to congregate near US Hwy 441 and wanted their new site to be located on 8101 South Military Trail (Pesantes 2011). This specific site was originally supposed to be used to build a church in 2003, but that never ended up happening. The site was already approved for building a religious institution. However, since the church was never built, this group of Muslims wanted to build their mosque on it instead. The site had been prepared and approved to be used for city purposes since 1998 (Pesantes 2011). Although the county commission had approved project to build the mosque in April 2011, residents raised questions about the project. Some residents were irritated that there had been no public announcement about the project. (Public hearings had taken place when the site was under initial developed for a church project in 2003.) Others expressed concerns about the disruption that might be caused due to calls for prayer through large speakers, and the distracting structure of the mosque, specifically, the minarets and the dome. On June 7, 2011, the Coalition of Boynton West Residential Association (COBWRA), an association representing the communities of West Boynton Beach, held an informational meeting in the Lantana Road Branch Library (Pesantes 2011). According to the association’s website, COBWRA had no problems or concerns with the plan to build a mosque on Military Trail. The one request that COBWRA made however was that a deputy should stand on guard on Fridays during Jummah prayers to regulate traffic on Military Trail. Residents from Gateway Palms, a community close to the proposed mosque project and one not represented by COBWRA, attended the informational meeting in large numbers (Pesantes 20110). They were upset that the project had been approved without a public hearing and that it would move forward without their input or opinions being represented. Many were angered by the approval of the construction of the mosque, and voiced their opinions, stating that as taxpayers, they shouldn’t have to pay for something they don’t want. Others expressed fear that the mosque would lead to an increase in traffic, that it would not be open to the public, and that the architecture would be an eyesore. Alarm over the source of funding for the project could be heard as well (Pesantes 2011). The Muslim group’s architect, Saleh Elrowney, assured attendees at the meeting that no loud speakers would be used for call to prayers and that there was no plan for building minarets or domes. He explained that the project would encompass a 17,000 square foot building that includes the mosque, a Sunday school, a courtyard, and administrative offices, and that mosque’s architecture would be influenced by a Mediterranean Spanish style (Pesantes 2011). In order to calm down the citizens living around the area of the Al-Amin project, Elrowney also stated that there would be a larger distance between the mosque and the homes than required by the county code, and that the buildings would not be higher than 35 feet. Despite Elrowney’s efforts, there still remained a lot of chaos surrounding the Al-Amin project (Pesantes 2011). Though there remained chaos surrounding the project, the Al-Amin Center of Florida eventually finished construction. After construction, the Al-Amin Center for Florida did very well in Boynton Beach. The center’s neighbors made sure to make them feel welcome by correcting the misconceptions of Islam. They have “hosted interfaith Mother’s Day potlucks, welcomed non-Muslim community members to their Ramadan celebrations, and invited congregants from local synagogues over for dinner” (Farzan, 2016). However, many years later during the 2016 elections, Muslims faced much more adversity than compared to previous years. FBI statistics show that Muslim hate crimes increased by 67% when Trump first introduced his campaign in 2015 (Johnson 2016). On November 3, 2016, an unidentified individual drove to the Al-Amin Center of Florida, and spray-painted derogatory words onto the mosque’s welcome sign. The graffiti was removed, and the Palm Beach County police were determined to find the culprit, but they never succeeded (Farzan 2016). The Al-Amin Center of Florida remains an active part of the South Florida community today, even though it has faced much adversity in the past. References Enter list of sources cited using the proper format. <ul><li>(2019). Usatoday.com. Retrieved 22 October 2019, from <a href="https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2016/11/14/hate-crimes-2015-fbi-data-muslims/93805146/">https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2016/11/14/hate-crimes-2015-fbi-data-muslims/93805146/</a> </li> <li>(2019). Worldpopulationreview.com. Retrieved 22 October 2019, from <a href="http://worldpopulationreview.com/states/florida-population/">http://worldpopulationreview.com/states/florida-population/</a> </li> <li>Farzan, A. (2016). Vandals Spray Paint "Fuck Islam" on Boynton Beach Mosque's Sign. New Times Broward-Palm Beach. Retrieved 22 October 2019, from <a href="https://www.browardpalmbeach.com/news/vandals-spray-paint-fuck-islam-on-boynton-beach-mosques-sign-8204143">https://www.browardpalmbeach.com/news/vandals-spray-paint-fuck-islam-on-boynton-beach-mosques-sign-8204143</a> </li> <li>Sun Sentinel - We are currently unavailable in your region. (2019). Sun-sentinel.com. Retrieved 22 October 2019, from <a href="https://www.sun-sentinel.com/local/palm-beach/boynton-beach/fl-boynton-mosque-signs-vandalized-20161103-story.html">https://www.sun-sentinel.com/local/palm-beach/boynton-beach/fl-boynton-mosque-signs-vandalized-20161103-story.html</a></li> <li>Sun Sentinel - We are currently unavailable in your region. (2019). Sun-sentinel.com. Retrieved 22 October 2019, from <a href="https://www.sun-sentinel.com/news/fl-xpm-2011-05-24-fl-boynton-new-mosque-20110523-story.html">https://www.sun-sentinel.com/news/fl-xpm-2011-05-24-fl-boynton-new-mosque-20110523-story.html</a> </li> <li>Sun Sentinel - We are currently unavailable in your region. (2019). Sun-sentinel.com. Retrieved 22 October 2019, from <a href="https://www.sun-sentinel.com/news/fl-xpm-2011-06-07-fl-boynton-mosque-meeting-20110607-story.html">https://www.sun-sentinel.com/news/fl-xpm-2011-06-07-fl-boynton-mosque-meeting-20110607-story.html</a> </li> <li>Sun Sentinel - We are currently unavailable in your region. (2019). Sun-sentinel.com. Retrieved 22 October 2019, from <a href="https://www.sun-sentinel.com/local/palm-beach/boynton-beach/fl-boynton-mosque-signs-vandalized-20161103-story.html">https://www.sun-sentinel.com/local/palm-beach/boynton-beach/fl-boynton-mosque-signs-vandalized-20161103-story.html</a> </li> <li><a href="https://www.sun-sentinel.com/local/palm-beach/boynton-beach/fl-boynton-mosque-signs-vandalized-20161103-story.html"></a></li> <li><a href="https://www.sun-sentinel.com/local/palm-beach/boynton-beach/fl-boynton-mosque-signs-vandalized-20161103-story.html"></a></li> </ul> Last Updated Date revised. November 4, 2019 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 West Boynton, FL Description An account of the resource A documented account of Case No. FL_04, occurring in West Boynton Beach, FL, 33436 from April 2011 to [?] Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Zia Pirani Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Oxford College of Emory University https://usmc.oxomeka.org/files/original/b96beb8ab97d541d9545092ee6da351d.jpg 0abbba0ad91e2a36be80d3ad87826941 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 Islamic Center of South Florida [Online image]. Retrieved from https://soflomuslims.com/listing/islamic-center-of-south-florida.  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 Florida 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. Fl_02 Location The location of the interview Pompano Beach, FL Date April 2006-January 2008 Summary Enter a brief description of the case (no more than 600 characters). This should be one or two sentences. The Islamic Center of South Florida was approved to be relocated in Northwest Pompano Beach, which is predominantly a black and Christian community. Controversy stirred because many people advocated for affordable housing and were scared of the Muslim community. Address Enter the full address, if it is available. 1641 NW 15th St, Pompano Beach, FL 33069 Proposed Project Islamic Center/Mosque: To purchase land build a larger mosque for a growing Muslim community in the area Proposed By List the entity (legal entity or community name) that proposed the project. Islamic Center of South Florida Type of Opposition Public Campaign, Vandalism, Legal Action, Local Ordinance Public Campaign/Protest; Legal Campaign/Lawsuit Outcome Rejected, Approved, Approved with Modifications The request to relocate the Islamic Center of South Florida was approved by the city. All cases that attempted to sue the Islamic Center of South Florida were dismissed. The Islamic Center of South Florida is operating in the new location. The tension has died down. There does not seem to be any direct opposition from the surrounding community. However, hate crimes directed against the Islamic center have continued. Narrative Enter the narrative about the case here. Background Info ICOSF had chosen the 15th-Street location because they felt sympathetic to the black struggle. Apparently they thought that the feelings were mutual. The Muslim community has been accused of treating black people poorly. Many black people have complained that the business has been taking advantage of them. There is tension between the black and Arab businesses. The businesses around the area are mainly owned by Arabs - although they used to be owned by black businesses. Black people left because of the increased crime. As black people left, that is when the Arabs started coming in (Lewis 2006). 15 percent of the members of the ICOSF community are black (Renaud 2006). Details of the Proposal The Muslim community wanted to move into a bigger location. They chose the new location because they thought that they would be able to empathize with the black community given the history of both of their communities. However, they received a lot of bitterness from the black community. The black community accused them of taking advantage of them economically. They also did not appreciate that the Muslim community had decided to move into a location that was originally designated for affordable housing for the local community. The Muslim community had started planning for the relocation since 2004. Things went smoothly initially. They planned to have multiple facilities open to the public such as a basketball court, playground, storm shelter and a place to vote. Once the zoning board had approved the proposal, public backlash began. Opposition The Islamic Center of South Florida (ICOSF) has operated in Pompano Beach for more than two decades. It was when they decided to move into a predominantly black neighborhood that protests and controversy broke out. Even City Commissioner E. Pat Larkins stated publicly that the Muslim community did not contribute to improving the overall community. He actively searched for ways to legally prevent the mosque from operating. Reverend Dozier, a local pastor, was afraid that if ICOSF successfully relocated, many “impressionable black youth” would convert to Islam. Reverend Dozier also states how he has felt excluded from the community. Dozier also is concerned that the relocation would lead to more black people being angry along with the Muslim community. He notes that they both have hatred towards the government. Protests Although the leaders of ICOSF offered to sit down with Reverend Dozier, he refused. He publicly stated that he refused to make compromises. He voiced his fear that the mosque would try to convert the young black men within the community (Renaud). Another reason why many felt the need to protest against the relocation is because they wanted more affordable housing rather than a new mosque. Dozier was not alone. There were two other black ministers and a couple of people from the Jewish community who joined Dozier when he decided to lead a protest during the commission meeting. However, although Dozier had a lot of support - everybody did not feel the same way. Larson, the NAACP warned against religious intolerance. CAIR CAIR was invested in supporting the relocation of the ICOSF. They saw that the current space was too small. Since CAIR is often accused of being involved with terrorist groups, Reverend Dozier and two others have tried to use this as leverage and have tried hard to gain access to their financial records. They have also tried using this as a legitimate reason as to why they should not be allowed to relocate (WND). Support from the Community However, not all people have agreed with the Reverend’s rhetoric. One member states from the community that “Everybody needs religion - even if it is not Christianity.” Others were ashamed of the hate that was being aimed towards the Muslim community especially since they have contributed many things towards the community. For example during Hurricane Wilma - which took place October 2005 - they provided supplies and shelter to the community. Many of the neighbors described them as polite and humble. There was also a dinner at ICOSF November 2006. There were leaders of different faiths. The goal was to have peace between the communities. However, there was nobody from the Worldwide Christian Center to attend the dinner. It is unclear if they were invited or not. How Things are Today Although the tension seems to have died down between the Black and Muslim communities, the center still suffers from hate crimes. In 2017, a former member of the community threatened to bomb the center. This member was an ex-Muslim and accused the Muslim community of mistreating. There also has been a shooting right outside of the center. There have been multiple hate crimes towards the center. These incidents appear to be a result of Islamophobia but not directly caused by the relocation of the center. Timeline <ul><li>2004: This is when ICOSF began to plan for the relocation and started attending zoning meetings</li> <li>Hurricane Wilma - October 2005: There was a mention of these dates because the Islamic Center has helped with the relief providing supplies during this time. This has led to some members of the community later on when they received a lot of backlash against the relocation of the mosque.</li> <li>April 5, 2006: The Islamic center was defaced. The police and FBI were urged to consider it a hate crime because of the message “Osama Bin Laden” written on the building.</li> <li>June 13, 2006 : The Pompano Beach City Commission made the decision to approve the relocation of the mosque (3-2).</li> <li>July 11, 2006: Ten pastors including Reverend O Dozier, have helped to planned a protest. Leaders from the mosque have attempted to reach out to them - but Dozer states that he refuses to compromise with them. He called Islam a cult.</li> <li>June-July 2006: Tensions arise between the black community and the muslim community (black muslims?). They were not pleased that a new mosque was being built in their community rather than affordable housing. Also, a lot of members of this community expressed that they were not good business partners and were often discriminatory towards the black community.</li> <li>November 2006: A dinner was held between leaders of different faiths. The event was held at the mosque. However, I noticed that there was not anybody from the Worldwide Christian Center - which is who has been vocal against the relocation of the mosque.</li> <li>May 1, 2007: Reverend O’Neal Dozier has filed a lawsuit against the approval of the Islamic Center, claiming that the mosque will bring danger to the community. This was in response to the city approving the Islamic Center relocation.</li> </ul> References Enter list of sources cited using the proper format. <ul><li>Bergin, M. (2007, June 09) Mosque-erade World Magazine Retrieved from <a href="https://world.wng.org/2007/06/mosque_erade">https://world.wng.org/2007/06/mosque_erade</a></li> <li>Eifling, S. (2006, August 17) Allah Drops In Broward Times Retrieved from</li> <li><a href="https://www.browardpalmbeach.com/news/allah-drops-in-6308101">https://www.browardpalmbeach.com/news/allah-drops-in-6308101</a></li> <li>Laughlin, M. (2006, June 16) Plans for New Mosque Ignite Cultural Turf War St. Petersburg Times Retrieved from <a href="https://www.starnewsonline.com/news/20060716/plans-for-new-mosque-ignite-cultural-turf-war-in-florida">https://www.starnewsonline.com/news/20060716/plans-for-new-mosque-ignite-cultural-turf-war-in-florida</a></li> <li>Renaud, J. (2006, June 14) Pompano OKs mosque in black area Sun Sentinel Retrieved from <a href="https://search-proquest-com.proxy.library.emory.edu/docview/2249329126/7E5E36DB359B43AFPQ/4?accountid=10747">https://search-proquest-com.proxy.library.emory.edu/docview/2249329126/7E5E36DB359B43AFPQ/4?accountid=10747</a></li> <li>Renaud, J. (11 July 2006) Preachers Plan Protest Tonight Over Mosque Broward Metro Retrieved from <a href="https://search-proquest-com.proxy.library.emory.edu/docview/387737694/74CB2AD176BB41E5PQ/20?accountid=10747">https://search-proquest-com.proxy.library.emory.edu/docview/387737694/74CB2AD176BB41E5PQ/20?accountid=10747</a></li> <li>Renaud, J. (14 June 2006) Pompano Oks Mosque in Black Area Muslims Deny Alleged Poor Treatments of Blacks in Stores Sun Sentinel Retrieved from</li> <li><a href="https://search-proquest-com.proxy.library.emory.edu/docview/387750627/74CB2AD176BB41E5PQ/9?accountid=10747">https://search-proquest-com.proxy.library.emory.edu/docview/387750627/74CB2AD176BB41E5PQ/9?accountid=10747</a></li> <li>WND (2007, December 7) Mosque lawsuit seeks source of CAIR funding WND Retrieved from <a href="https://www.wnd.com/2007/12/44939/">https://www.wnd.com/2007/12/44939/</a></li> </ul> Last Updated Date revised. November 4, 2019 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 Pompano Beach, FL Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Oxford College of Emory University Description An account of the resource A documented account of Case No. FL_02, occurring in Pompano Beach, FL, 33069 from April 2006 to January 2008 Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Ruth Tilus