6 10 101 https://usmc.oxomeka.org/files/original/dacc8d1d9dad312333d88ed031aff811.png b7a34f386b4388837aefafef1f4ae304 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 Pashman, M. B. (2019, May 11). Imam Senad Agic, right, seen here on Sept. 16, 2013 [Online image]. Retrieved October 22, 2019 from <a href="https://www.chicagotribune.com/suburbs/ct-des-plaines-islamic-center-settlement-met-20170606-story.html">https://www.chicagotribune.com/suburbs/ct-des-plaines-islamic-center-settlement-met-20170606-story.html</a>. https://usmc.oxomeka.org/files/original/d5c51923cbd8cf25670804e59a3e2cb4.jpg 15f691a31e279e6e084ef0cc4c4debc0 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 Placek, C. (2016). Building at 1645 Birchwood Ave [Online image]. Retrieved October 22, 2019 from https://www.dailyherald.com/article/20160131/news/160139836. 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 Illinois 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. Il_15 Location The location of the interview Des Plaines, IL Date September 2013-February 2017 Summary Enter a brief description of the case (no more than 600 characters). This should be one or two sentences. In 2013 August, the Des Plaines City Council refused to give the American Islamic Society (AIC, aka Society of American Bosnians & Herzegovinians) approval for its plan to convert an office building to a mosque. The property was originally located in a manufacturing district, which would have required rezoning. The City Council rejected the plan stating potential loss of tax revenue for the city as well as concerns over the project’s impact on traffic. The rezoning denial made it impossible for SABAH to purchase Property on Birchwood Avenue. SABAH felt discriminated against by the city council and sued the city in 2014. AIC’s case failed in the first instance. In 2015 September, the property was sold to a developer. Meanwhile, the Department of Justice intervened on behalf of AIC filing a lawsuit against the City of Des Plaines charging the city’s refusal to rezone violated federal laws. The lawsuit proceeded to trial. The parties settled the case outside of court in June 2017. AIC received $580,000 from the city in the settlement. Address Enter the full address, if it is available. 1645 Birchwood Avenue, Des Plaines, IL 60018 Proposed Project Conversion of a property originally zoned for manufacturing in Des Plaines to mosque and community center with parking spaces. The property included two buildings with a total area inside of 15,477 square feet . There were two parking lots on the property as well. Proposed By List the entity (legal entity or community name) that proposed the project. American Islamic Society (AIC) aka Society of American Bosnians & Herzegovinians (SABHAH) Type of Opposition Public Campaign, Vandalism, Legal Action, Local Ordinance Local Ordinance/Legislation Outcome Rejected, Approved, Approved with Modifications Due to denial of their rezoning application, SABAH lost their option to purchase the property on Birchwood Avenue. SABAH sued the city (and where joined by the Department of Justice) in 2015 and received &580,000 when the case was settled in June 2017. Narrative Enter the narrative about the case here. The American Islamic Center (AIC) is a Muslim community observing a Sufi approach to Islam. It is a small group made up of about 160 members living in suburban Chicago. They had rented places of worship in the past but desired to build a mosque for themselves. Timeline of Key Events <ul><li>2013: SABAH planned to buy the Birchwood Avenue property and convert it to a mosque. They submitted the rezoning request, but the request was denied by the city council of Des Plaines.</li> <li> March 4, 2014: AIC sued the city of Des Plaines and five members of its city council. AIC failed in this case.</li> <li>September, 2015: The building was sold to a developer. The Department of Justice sued the city of Des Plaines.</li> <li>March, 2017: The case headed to trial. DOJ set a hearing for the trial.</li> <li>June 9, 2017: The case settled. The city of Des Plaines paid the community $580,000 as compensation for their loss.</li> </ul> The community found a vacant former office building. Considering it a suitable place for a mosque in the manufacturing district, they submitted a rezoning request from industrial to institutional use for the property. The structure had two buildings, and the total area inside was 15,477 square feet. The plan called for converting the buildings to a mosque which could accommodate 180 members. The actual building style was left unclear. They group bought the property, waiting for city council’s approval of their rezoning application. However, “the Des Plaines City Council (…) rejected a Bosnian Muslim group's request to allow a religious center in a part of town zoned for manufacturing” (Madhu Krishnamurthy, 2013) The Aldermen’s decision was due to two factors: minimal income loss from taking the property off the tax rolls and potential parking, traffic and other safety concerns due to the size of the congregation (Koop, 2017). Following the denial of the rezoning, on March 4, 2014, AIC sued the city of Des Plaines and five members of its city council. AIC claimed that city of Des Plaines violated the Religious Land Use and Institutionalized Persons Act of 2000 (RLUIPA) in addition to the U.S. Constitution's Free Exercise Clause and the U.S. Constitution's Equal Protection Clause. In count 6 and 7, AIC contends that Des Plaines violated the Illinois Religious Freedom Restoration Act (IRFRA) and the Free Exercise Clause of the Illinois Constitution. The result of this case (Am. Islamic Ctr. v. City of Des Plaines, 32 F. Supp. 3d 910) was that all claims against the defendant were denied. One year and a half after the failure of AIC’s suit against Des Plaines, the U.S. Justice Department sued against the city of Des Plaines, claiming that the city council’s decision violated related federal laws, especially the Religious Land Use and Institutionalized Persons Act (RLUIPA),“arguing that officials imposed parking standards and other zoning criteria not used for non-Islamic groups”. At that point, AIC had been without a place of worship. “The Justice Department's lawsuit called for the city to grant approval of the worship center. But the building was sold to a developer in September 2015, and the city later approved property tax incentives for the new owner” (Koop, 2017). Following the intervention of the Justice Department, the Des Plaines city council sought to resolve the case out of court. “City Manager Mike Bartholomew said while it's possible the litigation could drag out for a while, officials believe it's likely to be resolved in 2016 … City officials have said the justice department has taken an ‘unnecessary stance’ and the city is welcoming to all religious faiths” (Placek, 2016). At the same time, the Department of Justice was trying to move the case to a trial. After three months, the Des Plaines city council voted on an agreement with AIC that quickly passed. On June 9, 2017, the City of Des Plaines announced a settlement in the dispute with the Society of American Bosnians and Herzegovinians over the use of the property at 1645 Birchwood Avenue in Des Plaines and agreed to pay the organization $580,000 as compensation. Around the same time, SABAH found a place to worship: a former Lutheran church they converted to a mosque in Franklin Park. References Enter list of sources cited using the proper format. <ul><li>Krishnamurthy, M. (2013, June 17). Des Plaines committee rejects rezoning property to allow Islamic center. Daily Herald. Retrieved from <a href="https://www.dailyherald.com/article/20130716/news/707169960">https://www.dailyherald.com/article/20130716/news/707169960</a>. </li> <li>Skinner, C. (2015, September 30). Feds sue Des Plaines over religious zoning rejection. McHenry County Blog. Retrieved from <a href="http://mchenrycountyblog.com/2015/09/30/feds-sue-des-plaines-over-religious-zoning-rejection.">http://mchenrycountyblog.com/2015/09/30/feds-sue-des-plaines-over-religious-zoning-rejection.</a></li> <li>Placek, C. (2016, January 31). Could Islamic center suit against Des Plaines be resolved this year? Daily Herald. Retrieved from <a href="https://www.dailyherald.com/article/20160131/news/160139836/">https://www.dailyherald.com/article/20160131/news/160139836</a>.</li> <li>Koop, Ch. (2017, March 1). Religious bias suit is headed to trial. Chicago Daily Herald. Retrieved from <a href="https://advance-lexis-com.proxy.library.emory.edu/api/document?collection=news&id=urn:contentItem:5N0Y-B7G1-DY6F-J1Y8-00000-00&context=1516831">https://advance-lexis-com.proxy.library.emory.edu/api/document?collection=news&id=urn:contentItem:5N0Y-B7G1-DY6F-J1Y8-00000-00&context=1516831</a>.</li> <li>Pashman, M. B. (2017, May 11). Mosque, feds reach settlement with Des Plaines over zoning. Chicago Tribune. Retrieved from <a href="https://www.chicagotribune.com/suburbs/ct-des-plaines-islamic-center-settlement-met-20170606-story.html">https://www.chicagotribune.com/suburbs/ct-des-plaines-islamic-center-settlement-met-20170606-story.html</a>.</li> <li>Resolution of RLUIPA dispute. (June 7, 2017). US State News. Retrieved from <a href="https://advance-lexis-com.proxy.library.emory.edu/api/document?collection=news&id=urn:contentItem:5NS4-8P41-JDKC-R0KG-00000-00&context=1516831">https://advance-lexis-com.proxy.library.emory.edu/api/document?collection=news&id=urn:contentItem:5NS4-8P41-JDKC-R0KG-00000-00&context=1516831</a>.</li> </ul>Court Filings <ul><li>Soc'y of Am. Bosnians & Herzegovinians v. City of Des Plaines, 2017 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 26542, 2017 WL 748528 (United States District Court for the Northern District of Illinois, Eastern Division, February 26, 2017, Filed). Retrieved from <a href="https://advance-lexis-com.proxy.library.emory.edu/api/document?collection=cases&id=urn:contentItem:5MYX-VS91-F04D-70FV-00000-00&context=1516831">https://advance-lexis-com.proxy.library.emory.edu/api/document?collection=cases&id=urn:contentItem:5MYX-VS91-F04D-70FV-00000-00&context=1516831</a>.</li> <li>Am. Islamic Ctr. v. City of Des Plaines, 32 F. Supp. 3d 910, 2014 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 38177 (United States District Court for the Northern District of Illinois, Eastern DivisionMarch 24, 2014, Filed). Retrieved from <a href="https://advance-lexis-com.proxy.library.emory.edu/api/document?collection=cases&id=urn:contentItem:5BTM-1VM1-F04D-7114-00000-00&context=1516831">https://advance-lexis-com.proxy.library.emory.edu/api/document?collection=cases&id=urn:contentItem:5BTM-1VM1-F04D-7114-00000-00&context=1516831</a>.</li> <li>Society of American Bosnians & Herzegovinians v. City of Des Plaines. (2016, September 26). Retrieved from <a href="https://www.becketlaw.org/case/society-american-bosnians-herzegovinians-v-city-des-plaines/?section=caseDetail">https://www.becketlaw.org/case/society-american-bosnians-herzegovinians-v-city-des-plaines/?section=caseDetail</a></li> </ul> 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 Des Plaines, IL (SABAH) Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Runze Zhou 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. IL_15, occurring in Des Plaines, IL, 60018 from September 2013 to February 2017. 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 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/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/f231b64280ee5e3dac77c28a3090c314.png bde96bedb45b1a3a040c90ddc701e22d 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. Ms_03 Location The location of the interview Horn Lake, MS Year Year the case began. 2021 Address Enter the full address, if it is available. 4600 Church Rd, Horn Lake, MS 38637 Plus Code Enter the plus code for the location, if it is available. WWMH+9R Horn Lake, Mississippi Type of Opposition Public Campaign, Vandalism, Legal Action, Local Ordinance Public Campaign, Administrative Denial Outcome Rejected, Approved, Approved with Modifications In February 2021, the Planning Commission voted unanimously to deny the permit for the proposed mosque. The Board of Aldermen voted 5-1 in April to uphold this decision, citing insufficient water mains for fire sprinklers, potential violations of noise ordinances, and increased traffic. Following a lawsuit filed on behalf of the Muslim community, a consent decree from the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Mississippi ordered the approval of construction of the mosque. In September 2022, the Planning Commission voted 4-3 to allow the construction of the cemetery on the same property as the mosque. Despite concerns about soil contamination and discrimination against women, the Board of Aldermen unanimously voted in October to approve the conditional use permit for the cemetery with restrictions. Proposed Project The Muslim community proposed subdividing the 80-acre property for residential development (Turkey Creek Subdivision) and for a cemetery/mosque project. The mosque's site plan envisioned a 10,000-square-foot building with 44 parking spaces for 156 worshipers. The 1.2-acre cemetery would accommodate up to 520 burials. Proposed By List the entity (legal entity or community name) that proposed the project. <a href="https://www.abrahamhouseofgod.com/">Abraham House of God</a> Narrative Enter the narrative about the case here. In 2019, DeSoto County resident Ray Elk met with the mayor of Horn Lake, MS, and the Board of Aldermen to propose the construction of the Abraham House of God, a 10,000-square-foot mosque on 80 acres of land with a 156-person worship room and 44 parking spaces. Northern Mississippi did not have a mosque, which meant the approximately 15 Muslim families living in DeSoto County needed to travel more than 30 minutes to the nearest mosque, located in Tennessee. (Weaver, 2021, Nov 3). In August 2020, local residents expressed anti-Muslim sentiments at a meeting of the city’s Planning Commission (Randall, 2022, Jan 4). Their opposition towards the proposed mosque continued at another Planning Commission meeting in February 2021, where they voiced their concerns about increased traffic and potential violations of noise ordinances, despite repeated assertions that the mosque would not contain loudspeakers issuing calls to prayer (Burgess, 2021, Apr 22). The Planning Commission unanimously denied Elk’s application for permits to construct the mosque. Though houses of worship are permitted by right on land zoned Agricultural Residential (AR) in Horn Lake, they still require site plan approval from the Planning Commission. In April 2021, the Board of Aldermen voted 5-1 to uphold the Planning Commission’s decision to deny approval of the site plan, citing concerns over insufficient water mains for fire sprinklers, potential violations of noise ordinances, and increased traffic (Burgess, 2021, Apr 22). Elk announced that he planned to sue the city over its decision, stating that “this is what my country was built on, freedom of religion. I am just practicing my right. This is my right to have any faith I want” (ibid.). The next month, Horn Lake Mayor Allen Latimer held an executive session behind closed doors with the Board of Aldermen to discuss the proposed mosque and impending lawsuit (Masse, 2021, May 5). Alderman Charlie Roberts changed his mind, expressing support for the mosque. “If we can have Baptist churches, Methodist churches, Pentecostal churches on every corner and have the freedom to religion, we also should be able to allow our Islamic Muslim friends to have the same worship,” Roberts said at the meeting. “I support the freedom of religion, and I will stand behind the freedom of religion for everybody” (Marion, 2021, May 19). In November 2021, the ACLU of Mississippi and Simpson Thacher & Bartlett LLP filed a federal lawsuit against the City of Horn Lake, claiming that their denial of the proposed mosque violated the Religious Land Use and Institutionalized Persons Act (RLUIPA) and the First Amendment (Weaver, 2021, Nov 3). On November 18, it was reported that the city and Elk were working to settle the lawsuit (Dees, 2021, Nov 18). On January 3, 2022, Judge Michael P. Mills of the Northern District of Mississippi issued a consent decree ordering Horn Lake officials to approve the mosque (Chaney, 2022, Jan 4). Mills found that the denial of the proposed mosque violated RLUIPA and the First Amendment’s Free Exercise Clause, stating that the case “presents very serious, and if proven factually accurate, strong allegations of religious discrimination” (Randall, 2022, Jan 4). It was reported that both parties agreed to the consent decree “in the interest of avoiding costly and protracted litigation” (ibid.). The city was ordered to approve a plan for the mosque’s construction within 14 days, act quickly in the future to address building-related matters like permitting, and pay $25,000 for expenses related to appealing the denial. City officials, employees, and insurers were released from any further monetary claims for damages, and the federal district court maintained jurisdiction over the case for five years to ensure the consent decree was enforced (ibid.). In April 2022, Elk met with the city’s Planning Commission to propose the construction of a 1.2-acre Muslim cemetery on the same property as the mosque. The plan was tabled until September 26, when the Planning Commission voted 4-3 to grant a conditional use permit (CUP) with restrictions (Randall, 2022, Oct 14). Members of the Planning Commission stated that Horn Lake had never approved a cemetery in its history and shared their concerns regarding soil contamination and discrimination against women, as comparisons were made to the Dar ar-Rahma Cemetery in Tennessee, which does not allow women to attend burial services (ibid.). In response, Elk stated that he was unfamiliar with that rule. One of the conditions attached to the permit was that no discrimination would be allowed against women, in addition to other restrictions regarding the cemetery’s rules and guidelines, timeline of its construction, and future expansion process (ibid.). Addressing a query from Planning Commissioner Little regarding the cemetery's public or private nature, Elk offered to dedicate an area for non-Muslims to be buried, similar to how Christian cemeteries have sections for Muslim burials, highlighting inclusivity and accommodation within the community cemetery project (ibid.). In October 2022, the Board of Aldermen met to discuss the cemetery’s conditional use request (Bakken, 2022, Oct 18). They voted unanimously, 7-0, to approve the CUP with five conditions: planting a mix of trees and plants along the perimeter to absorb any microorganisms, constructing the cemetery in the approved soil types identified in the state soil report, following the city’s subdivision regulations if the property is subdivided at a later date, ensuring there is at least one yard of subsoil at the bottom of all burial sites to protect against groundwater contamination, and going through the approval process if the site is expanded (ibid.). Additional Planning Commission conditions were not included, as they related to the cemetery's operation and not its actual zoning. A groundbreaking ceremony was held at the Abraham House of God on October 23, 2022. The mosque was expected to take about a year to build (Bakken, 2022, Oct 18). Construction does not appear to have finished, as the mosque’s website states it is coming soon. References <ul> <li style="font-weight:400;">Bakken, B. (2022, October 18). Mosque cemetery plan gets Horn Lake board approval. DeSoto County News. <a href="https://desotocountynews.com/desoto-county-news/mosque-cemetery-plan-gets-horn-lake-board-approval/">Web</a>.</li> <li style="font-weight:400;">Burgess, K. (2021, April 22). Horn Lake rejects application for mosque; applicant may take city to court. The Commercial Appeal. <a href="https://www.commercialappeal.com/story/news/2021/04/22/horn-lake-rejects-mosque-applicant/7335507002/">Web</a>.</li> <li style="font-weight:400;">Chaney, K. (2022, January 4). Horn Lake ordered to approve plans for first-ever mosque in Desoto County, Mississippi. Localmemphis.com. <a href="https://www.localmemphis.com/article/life/faith/horn-lake-ordered-approval-mosque-desoto-county-mississippi-federal-judge/522-69bc4455-fefa-4d03-97a8-a55c3ee80e66">Web</a>.</li> <li style="font-weight:400;">Dees, T. (2021, November 18). City of Horn Lake working to settle lawsuit over proposed mosque. FOX13 Memphis. <a href="https://www.fox13memphis.com/news/city-of-horn-lake-working-to-settle-lawsuit-over-proposed-mosque/article_0ca776a2-a713-5ed3-b941-b8931f0747c4.html">Web</a>.</li> <li style="font-weight:400;">Marion, G. (2021, May 19). “Stop It Before They Get Here”: Horn Lake Repeatedly Denies Mosque Permit. Mississippi Free Press. <a href="https://www.mississippifreepress.org/stop-it-before-they-get-here-horn-lake-repeatedly-denies-mosque-permit/">Web</a>.</li> <li style="font-weight:400;">Masse, J. (2021, May 5). Horn Lake officials discuss proposed mosque as lawsuit looms. FOX13 Memphis. <a href="https://www.fox13memphis.com/news/horn-lake-officials-discuss-proposed-mosque-as-lawsuit-looms/article_44e235ce-eb9c-53fc-825a-79a2e1d013cf.html">Web</a>.</li> <li style="font-weight:400;">Randall, M. (2022, January 4). Federal court orders Horn Lake to approve mosque. DeSoto Times-Tribune. <a href="https://www.desototimes.com/news/federal-court-orders-horn-lake-to-approve-mosque/article_3bc5cf16-6d81-11ec-ac43-77bd6d34a3da.html">Web</a>.</li> <li style="font-weight:400;">Randall, M. (2022, October 14). Horn Lake to consider Muslim cemetery request. DeSoto Times-Tribune. <a href="https://www.desototimes.com/news/horn-lake-to-consider-muslim-cemetery-request/article_653ef044-4be2-11ed-8889-ab6423a9da63.html">Web</a>.</li> <li style="font-weight:400;">Weaver, H. (2021, November 3). A Mississippi City Blocked a Proposed Mosque Due to Anti-Muslim Prejudice. We’re Suing. American Civil Liberties Union. <a href="https://www.aclu.org/news/religious-liberty/a-mississippi-city-blocked-a-proposed-mosque-due-to-anti-muslim-prejudice-were-suing">Web</a>.</li> </ul> Last Updated Date revised. June 20, 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/. Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Oxford College of Emory University Title A name given to the resource Horn Lake, MS Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived Concept art for planned Abraham House of God in Horn Lake. (2021). [Online image]. Retrieved February 5, 2022, from https://www.commercialappeal.com/story/news/2021/04/22/horn-lake-rejects-mosque-applicant/7335507002. Description An account of the resource In April 2021, Horn Lake city officials rejected a proposed mosque on property zoned for houses of worship. The ACLU of Mississippi and Simpson Thacher & Bartlett LLP filed an RLUIPA lawsuit on behalf of the Muslim community in November 2021. In January 2022, the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Mississippi issued a consent decree to approve the construction of the Abraham House of God, DeSoto County’s first mosque. Later that year, the Board of Aldermen unanimously voted to allow the construction of a Muslim cemetery on the same property, despite opposition by local residents. Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Ryan Wang ACLU Approved (initial denial) Cemetery DOJ Lawsuit (RLUIPA) Mosque Planning and Zoning Public Campaign https://usmc.oxomeka.org/files/original/bc9e8736b3acab37ebb7becf710a1024.png df9347e25abffa073037b0da625a739b 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 Hasan Siddiqui of Tyrone Township addresses residents at the Nov. 14 Tyrone Township Planning Commission meeting. Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived https://www.tctimes.com/news/muslim-run-cemetery-plan-revised-noise-traffic-burial-practices-addressed/article_99c21386-2c85-11e8-8a2f-f34ba4315e32.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) Case No. Mi_09 Location The location of the interview Tyrone Township, MI Year Year the case began. 2017 Address Enter the full address, if it is available. 7155 Denton Hill Rd, Fenton, MI 48430 Plus Code Enter the plus code for the location, if it is available. P77V+CF Fenton, Michigan Proposed Project Development on 10 acres of land; original plan for 3,847 gravesites, later reduced to about 1,500. Proposed By List the entity (legal entity or community name) that proposed the project. <a href="https://rawdacemetery.com/">Rawda Cemetery</a> Type of Opposition Public Campaign, Vandalism, Legal Action, Local Ordinance Public Campaign Outcome Rejected, Approved, Approved with Modifications On June 19, 2018, the Board voted 5-0 to approve the special land use permit for the proposed 1,500-plot cemetery. Narrative Enter the narrative about the case here. In November 2017, Hasan Siddiqui submitted his initial plan for a ten-acre cemetery with a maximum of 3,847 gravesites on his family-owned property in Tyrone Township, MI, open to everyone, regardless of their faith. On November 14, 34 residents attended the Tyrone Township Planning Commission’s meeting to discuss the proposed cemetery project, voicing their concerns about groundwater contamination, lowered property values, and excessive noise (Jagielo, 2017, Nov 17). Every property in the surrounding area is on a well, and neighbors believed that a traditional Muslim burial in which bodies are wrapped in a shroud and placed directly into the earth with a stone placed on top would negatively affect their water supply (Jagielo, 2018, Mar 20). In response to the residents’ concerns, Tyrone Township planner Brian Keesey stated that there is no definitive evidence of cemeteries' positive or negative effect on property values (Jagielo, 2017, Nov 17). No vote was taken at the Planning Commission meeting. The next month, Livingston County took soil borings and studied the flow and direction of the water to determine the cemetery’s effect on the neighborhood’s groundwater (Controversial “green cemetery” approved, 2018, Jun 22). Afterward, the cemetery was cleared as being safe. County regulations state that burial sites must be at least 75 feet from a residential well, which the site exceeded (Jagielo, 2018, Sep 6). In March 2018, Siddiqui submitted a revised proposal to the Planning Commission, which reduced the size of the cemetery to 1,589 graves, increased the amount of open space, located burial sites farther from the road, and established set hours of operation to ensure that heavy machinery would not be operated in the evening (Jagielo, 2018, Mar 20). The Planning Commission sent the proposal to Livingston County officials to clarify if the revised plan met county requirements. On June 19, the Board of Commissioners voted 5-0 to approve the special land use permit for the cemetery (Controversial “green cemetery” approved, 2018, Jun 22). Despite the approval, it was reported that opposition towards the cemetery continued at subsequent board meetings and in the local press (Jagielo, 2018, Sep 6). After obtaining state approval and developing the land, the <a href="https://rawdacemetery.com/">Rawda Cemetery</a> has been built and is fully operational. References <ul> <li style="font-weight:400;">Controversial “green” cemetery approved in Tyrone Township. (2018, June 22). Tri-County Times. <a href="https://www.tctimes.com/news/controversial-green-cemetery-approved-in-tyrone-township/article_13b14bd0-763c-11e8-aaed-2bb430c8593f.html">Web</a>.</li> <li style="font-weight:400;">Jagielo, T. (2017, November 17). Community debates proposed Muslim-run cemetery. Tri-County Times. <a href="https://www.tctimes.com/news/community-debates-proposed-muslim-run-cemetery-concerned-that-muslims-are-buried-in-shrouds-not-vaults/article_dc88074e-cbc7-11e7-8acf-dbb82a6206c8.html">Web</a>.</li> <li style="font-weight:400;">Jagielo, T. (2018, March 20). Muslim-run cemetery plan revised. Tri-County Times. <a href="https://www.tctimes.com/news/muslim-run-cemetery-plan-revised-noise-traffic-burial-practices-addressed/article_99c21386-2c85-11e8-8a2f-f34ba4315e32.html">Web</a>.</li> <li style="font-weight:400;">Jagielo, T. (2018, September 6). Would you live next to a “green” cemetery? Tri-County Times. <a href="https://www.tctimes.com/news/would-you-live-next-to-a-green-cemetery/article_684eadde-b10d-11e8-b5d8-53e1d6f474cf.html">Web</a>.</li> </ul> Last Updated Date revised. June 12, 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/. 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 Title A name given to the resource Tyrone Township, MI Description An account of the resource In November 2017, the Tyrone Township Planning Commission held a public meeting at which a Muslim developer’s proposal for a green cemetery was discussed. The proposal drew critique from residents primarily concerned with the potential impact on groundwater. After commissioning an Environmental Impact Report, the developer submitted a revised proposal to the commission in March 2018. The revised plan lowered the number of burial sites, increased open space, located burial sites farther away from the property line, and established limited hours of operation. The Township Board unanimously approved the revised site plan in June 2018, though opposition continued at subsequent board meetings and in the local press. Approved Built Cemetery Public Campaign https://usmc.oxomeka.org/files/original/e1462a6e6ea1029ad0291bfba7df8cbd.png f69c3a1103e5e5fc7f34203145cb159e 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 Cox (2017, Mar 16) 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. Mn_10 Location The location of the interview Chisago County, MN Address Enter the full address, if it is available. 26025 Lofton Ave, Chisago City, MN 55013 Year Year the case began. 2016 Plus Code Enter the plus code for the location, if it is available. 84GH+MG Chisago City, Minnesota Proposed Project 16-acre property with 2 acres for cemetery use Proposed By List the entity (legal entity or community name) that proposed the project. <a href="http://www.icbmn.org/main/">The Islamic Community of Bosniaks of Minnesota</a> Type of Opposition Public Campaign, Vandalism, Legal Action, Local Ordinance Public Campaign, Planning and Zoning Outcome Rejected, Approved, Approved with Modifications In March 2017, the Chisago County Board of Commissioners voted unanimously, 4-0, to reverse its December decision and grant ICBMN a permit to proceed. Last Updated Date revised. June 12, 2024 Narrative Enter the narrative about the case here. In 2016, the Islamic Community of Bosniaks in Minnesota (ICBMN), sought a conditional use permit (CUP) from the Chisago County Board of Commissioners to build a small cemetery on land zoned agricultural. ICBMN had been using Muslim sections of cemeteries in Roseville and Burnsville, but they lacked enough plots for future burials (Giles, 2017, Jan 23). As a result, the congregation of about 1,200 Bosnian Muslims purchased sixteen acres of land in Chisago Lake Township. Two acres would be used for the cemetery with a maximum of 800 graves, and the rest would remain farmland. Though Chisago County is more than 45 miles from ICBMN’s mosque in Minneapolis, the land was significantly more affordable than an urban location. In December 2016, the County Planning Commission, an advisory entity to the Board of Commissioners, voted 4-2 to approve ICBMN’s proposal with conditions. The permit called for constructing a parking lot, a building to house lawn maintenance equipment, and planting trees to act as screening (Knutson, 2016, Dec 7). At the meeting, local residents expressed concerns about the cemetery’s impact on property values, the appearance of a fence or gate, and groundwater contamination (Du, 2017, Jan 10). In response, the Planning Commission stated that there were already several cemeteries near the proposed site, area farms have always had fences and gates, and there is no proof that natural burials contaminate the earth (ibid). Despite the Planning Commission’s recommendation to approve the project, the Board of Commissioners voted 3-2 to reject the proposed cemetery later that month. Commissioner Ben Montzka expressed his disappointment and theorized that “maybe it would have been easier, if it had been a majority religion, if it had been a Lutheran cemetery or maybe a Baptist cemetery” (ibid.). Following the Board’s decision, ICBMN announced that it would look elsewhere to construct its cemetery and hoped to receive an invitation from a suburban county with available land (Giles, 2017, Jan 23). In March 2017, the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) announced it was investigating the Board’s denial of the permit (Chisago County Board, 2017, Mar 16). Additionally, ICBMN expressed interest in suing Chisago County for religious discrimination. As a result, on March 15, the Board voted unanimously, 4-0, to reverse its previous decision and grant ICBMN a CUP to proceed with its cemetery project. The Board’s attorney had advised them to approve the permit, stating that “there is no insurance coverage for any Department of Justice inquiry. As depositions of yourself and your staff begin, costs will roll up exponentially” (ibid.). While news coverage of the cemetery project has been sparse since 2017, the initiative has progressed quietly. The ICBMN currently lists the cemetery on its official website as an operational facility where it provides funeral services to its members. This suggests that despite the limited media attention, the project has indeed moved forward, and the cemetery is now in use. References <ul> <li style="font-weight:400;">Chisago County Board approves Muslim cemetery amid looming discrimination lawsuit. (2017, March 16). Twin Cities. <a href="https://www.twincities.com/2017/03/16/chisago-county-board-approves-muslim-cemetery-amid-looming-discrimination-lawsuit/">Web</a>.</li> <li style="font-weight:400;">Du, S. (2017, January 11). Fear of Muslims prompts Chisago County to reject Bosnian cemetery. CityPages. <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20170111141314/http://www.citypages.com/news/fear-of-muslims-prompts-chisago-county-to-reject-bosnian-cemetery/409916235">Web</a>.</li> <li style="font-weight:400;">Giles, K. (2017, January 23). Turned away in Chisago County, Bosnian Muslims search anew for cemetery land. Star Tribune. <a href="https://www.startribune.com/turned-away-in-chisago-county-bosnian-muslims-search-anew-for-cemetery-land/411596145/">Web</a>.</li> <li style="font-weight:400;">Knutson, D. (2016, December 7). Muslim cemetery proposal clears county Planning Commission. Hometownsource.com. <a href="https://www.hometownsource.com/the_post_review/news/local/muslim-cemetery-proposal-clears-county-planning-commission/article_fbeaefc6-5df8-5dcd-88cb-6c3d5b8a7922.html">Web</a>.</li> <li style="font-weight:400;">The Associated Press. (2017, March 16). Chisago County Board approves Muslim cemetery amid looming discrimination lawsuit. Twin Cities. <a href="https://www.twincities.com/2017/03/16/chisago-county-board-approves-muslim-cemetery-amid-looming-discrimination-lawsuit/">Web</a>.</li> </ul> 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/. 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 Title A name given to the resource Chisago County, MN Description An account of the resource In December 2016, the Chisago County Board of Commissioners denied the Islamic Community of Bosniaks in Minnesota’s proposal for a small cemetery. Local residents had expressed concerns about property values, traffic, and aesthetics. After the U.S. Department of Justice announced that it would investigate the denial and the Muslim community considered suing the County, the Board unanimously agreed in March 2017 to reverse its previous decision and approve the conditional use permit. Approved (initial denial) Built Cemetery DOJ Planning and Zoning Public Campaign https://usmc.oxomeka.org/files/original/c5d72b64a3354c8097aa2d44ecf73981.jpg 6ae9671ca820faa03ac86efd1f5d5516 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 Headstones at Sufi Cemetery in Sidney, NY Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Andrew Reinbach Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived Tiny Upstate New York Town Wants Local Muslims to Dig Up Their Cemetery A town in upstate New York is trying to force a local Muslim religious community to dig up a small cemetery on its property and never bury anyone there again because it says it's illegal. By Andrew Reinbach, Contributor Journalist Sep 27, 2010, 12:10 AM EDT https://www.huffpost.com/entry/tiny-upstate-new-york-tow_b_739832 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. Ny_03 Location The location of the interview Sidney, NY Address Enter the full address, if it is available. 1663 Wheat Hill Rd, Sidney Center, NY 13839 Plus Code Enter the plus code for the location, if it is available. 8Q97+X9 Sidney Center, New York Proposed By List the entity (legal entity or community name) that proposed the project. <a href="https://www.naksibendi.us/">Osmanli Naksibendi Hakkani Sufi Order</a> Type of Opposition Public Campaign, Vandalism, Legal Action, Local Ordinance Local Ordinance Outcome Rejected, Approved, Approved with Modifications The town dropped its plans to pursue a lawsuit in October 2010 but planned to regulate private burials, except religious ones Narrative Enter the narrative about the case here. In the summer of 2010, the Sidney Town Board initiated legal action to stop the Osmanli Naksibendi Hakkani Dergahi—a Sufi Islamic spiritual center—from using a portion of its 50-acre property as a cemetery. The order had purchased the land, a former sheep farm, in 2002 and designated 650 square feet for cemetery use. The first burial occurred in November 2009, followed by a second in the summer of 2010. On September 14, 2010, journalist Patricia Breakey reported in The Daily Star that the Sidney Town Board had passed an injunction at its August 12 meeting to prohibit burials on private property, effectively targeting the Sufi community's cemetery (Breakey, 2010, Sep 14). Town Supervisor Bob McCarthy explained that the Town Board had directed its lawyer to explore a lawsuit against the Sufi Order for conducting two Muslim burials without notifying local authorities or obtaining proper permits. McCarthy stated the town's intention to have the bodies disinterred and to stop future burials. He stressed that these steps were necessary to prevent any group from bypassing regulations, regardless of religion, stating, "Unauthorized cemeteries have the potential of placing a financial burden on the local government as well as dictating the use of the land for perpetuity” (ibid.). In response to the town board's actions, the Sufi center members emphasized strict adherence to town regulations. They presented a 2005 document from the town zoning board confirming that the cemetery was permitted use according to the Town of Sidney Zoning Ordinance. They noted that licensed funeral directors conducted the burials with proper permits (Seely, 2010, Oct 2). The legal dispute between the Sufi center and the Sidney Town Board escalated to a national level of attention in September. The story was covered by the Huffington Post (Reinbach, 2010, Sep 27) and featured on MSNBC’s “Countdown with Keith Olbermann” and Comedy Central’s “Colbert Report.” The national spotlight underscored the salience of the issue, which emerged during a period of heightened tension over Muslim building projects in the runup to the 2010 midterm elections, including the protests over an Islamic Center near Ground Zero in Manhattan. In October, opposition to the Town Board's actions grew, with nearly 40 area clergy from various faiths urging the board to drop the issue. They supported the Sufi community’s right to practice their faith and criticized the singling out of one religion (Clergy's letter supports Sufi order, 2010, Oct 9). "Though we are members and leaders of different faith traditions, we stand beside our Sufi brothers and sisters to support their right to practice their faith and live as peaceful, law-abiding, contributing members of our society," the letter said (Clergy's letter supports Sufi order (ibid.). On October 13, a day before a Town Board meeting, the Sufi community's lawyer announced that the local government would drop plans to force the cemetery's closure. However, the board still intended to enact a law preventing burials on private property but excluding religious and not-for-profit groups. Despite this, the New York chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR-NY) demanded a public apology from town officials for attempting to close the cemetery (CAIR seeks apology, 2010, Oct 14). At the next day’s Town Board meeting, more than 100 attendees chanted for McCarthy's resignation after he refused to apologize for his actions and the negative attention brought to the town (Crowd calls for McCarthy's resignation, 2010, Oct 15). Local opposition to McCarthy and the Town Board persisted in the following months. Concerned Citizens for Responsible Sidney Government petitioned for McCarthy's resignation and filed formal complaints about his management with the New York Attorney General and Comptroller, backed by signed petitions (Rainbach, 2010, Nov 8). In the November 2011 Sidney town elections, a slate of candidates endorsed by McCarthy was defeated by Democratic and bipartisan candidates, with the cemetery controversy being a key issue for voters (Boshnack, 2011, Nov 10). References <ul> <li>Boshnack, M. (2011, November 10). Unhappy Sidney voters turn out in high numbers. The Daily Star. Available from <a href="https://infoweb-newsbank-com.proxy.library.emory.edu/apps/news/openurl?ctx_ver=z39.88-2004&rft_id=info%3Asid/infoweb.newsbank.com&svc_dat=WORLDNEWS&req_dat=0D0CB4F3D1A01B2A&rft_val_format=info%3Aofi/fmt%3Akev%3Amtx%3Actx&rft_dat=document_id%3Anews%252F13AEFCD416DD9B70">NewsBank</a>. </li> <li>Breakey, P. (2010, September 14). Sidney Town Board objects to cemetery. The Daily Star. Available from <a href="https://infoweb-newsbank-com.proxy.library.emory.edu/apps/news/openurl?ctx_ver=z39.88-2004&rft_id=info%3Asid/infoweb.newsbank.com&svc_dat=WORLDNEWS&req_dat=0D0CB4F3D1A01B2A&rft_val_format=info%3Aofi/fmt%3Akev%3Amtx%3Actx&rft_dat=document_id%3Anews%252F1323D87A49343F38">NewsBank</a>.</li> <li>CAIR seeks apology from NY town over Muslim cemetery flap. (2010, October 14). PR Newswire. Available from <a href="https://infoweb-newsbank-com.proxy.library.emory.edu/apps/news/openurl?ctx_ver=z39.88-2004&rft_id=info%3Asid/infoweb.newsbank.com&svc_dat=WORLDNEWS&req_dat=0D0CB4F3D1A01B2A&rft_val_format=info%3Aofi/fmt%3Akev%3Amtx%3Actx&rft_dat=document_id%3Anews%252F132DD2EA8F82EAB0">NewsBank</a>.</li> <li>Clergy's letter supports Sufi order. (2010, October 9). The Daily Star. Available from <a href="https://infoweb-newsbank-com.proxy.library.emory.edu/apps/news/openurl?ctx_ver=z39.88-2004&rft_id=info%3Asid/infoweb.newsbank.com&svc_dat=WORLDNEWS&req_dat=0D0CB4F3D1A01B2A&rft_val_format=info%3Aofi/fmt%3Akev%3Amtx%3Actx&rft_dat=document_id%3Anews%252F132C10F75ED49BD0">NewsBank</a>. Crowd calls for McCarthy's resignation in Sidney. (2010, October 15). The Daily Star. Available from <a href="https://infoweb-newsbank-com.proxy.library.emory.edu/apps/news/openurl?ctx_ver=z39.88-2004&rft_id=info%3Asid/infoweb.newsbank.com&svc_dat=WORLDNEWS&req_dat=0D0CB4F3D1A01B2A&rft_val_format=info%3Aofi/fmt%3Akev%3Amtx%3Actx&rft_dat=document_id%3Anews%252F132E0A324E6C3708">NewsBank</a>.</li> <li>Reinbach, A. (2010, September 27). Tiny Upstate New York Town Wants Local Muslims to Dig Up Their Cemetery. Huffington Post. <a href="https://www.huffpost.com/entry/tiny-upstate-new-york-tow_b_739832">Web</a>.</li> <li>Reinbach, A. (2010, November 8). Sidney, NY knuckling down for a brawl. Huffington Post. <a href="https://www.huffpost.com/entry/sidney-ny-knuckling-down_b_780428">Web</a>.</li> <li>Seely, H. (2010, October 2). Tiny cemetery in ground zero in Islam debate. The Post-Standard, p. A1. Available from <a href="https://infoweb-newsbank-com.proxy.library.emory.edu/apps/news/openurl?ctx_ver=z39.88-2004&rft_id=info%3Asid/infoweb.newsbank.com&svc_dat=WORLDNEWS&req_dat=0D0CB4F3D1A01B2A&rft_val_format=info%3Aofi/fmt%3Akev%3Amtx%3Actx&rft_dat=document_id%3Anews%252F132A0467C56512B0">NewsBank</a>. </li> </ul> Proposed Project The Sufi community used a portion of its 50-acre property as a cemetery. The first burial occurred in November 2009, followed by a second in the summer of 2010. 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 In 2010, the Sidney Town Board took legal action to stop the Osmanli Naksibendi Hakkani Dergahi from using part of its 50-acre property as a cemetery. The Sufi community purchased the land in 2002 and began using it for burials in 2009. The Town Board claimed the burials were illegal and sought to disinter the bodies. The Sufi group argued they had followed town regulations. The dispute gained national attention and led to significant local opposition. Ultimately, the town dropped its plans to pursue a lawsuit but planned to regulate private burials. Persistent community opposition to the Town Board characterized the controversy and led to significant changes in the 2011 town election. 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 Title A name given to the resource Sidney, NY Approved Cemetery Legislation https://usmc.oxomeka.org/files/original/3f67635b6295c2d3a4496e1e43cd85e3.jpeg d4d8a40bb0bb2c210b010b0bd38ea90d 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.muslimguide.com/show/Darr_Al_Rahma_Cemetery_22296 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_10 Location The location of the interview Albany, GA Year Year the case began. 2016 Address Enter the full address, if it is available. 711 W. Highland Ave, Albany, GA 31701 Plus Code Enter the plus code for the location, if it is available. HRFM+MJ Albany, Georgia Proposed Project 123-plot cemetery on property the Islamic Center owned Proposed By List the entity (legal entity or community name) that proposed the project. <a href="https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100068005827245">Islamic Center of Albany</a> Type of Opposition Public Campaign, Vandalism, Legal Action, Local Ordinance Public Campaign Outcome Rejected, Approved, Approved with Modifications In September 2016, the Albany City Commission voted 5-2 to allow the construction of the cemetery with conditions, including burials at a 6-foot depth and using six-sided concrete burial vaults. Narrative Enter the narrative about the case here. In 2016, the Islamic Center of Albany requested constructing a 123-plot cemetery on its property in Albany, GA. Originally, it had sought to purchase graves in Riverside Cemetery, operated by the city, but was unsuccessful. The Islamic Center could not find other suitable land and decided to build its own cemetery instead (Fletcher, 2016, Sep 7). On September 1, not enough members of the Albany-Dougherty Planning Commission were present for its regularly scheduled meeting, failing to attract a quorum. Some members of the Islamic Center believed city officials were purposefully attempting to sabotage their cemetery construction plans (ibid.). At the subsequent September 7 meeting, there were Albany Police Department officers present to maintain a peaceful environment. Local residents voiced numerous concerns about the cemetery, including groundwater contamination, flooding, property values, health issues, aesthetics, and sanitation. In response, Mohammad Okashah, the president of the Islamic Center, stated, “I’ve done the research, and there is nothing whatsoever that indicates burying a body naturally – a so-called green burial – poses any type of danger” (Fletcher, 2016, Sep 28). After considering the ten criteria relevant to cases requiring special approval, the Planning Commission voted 7-1 to recommend that the cemetery be approved with restrictions, including burials at a 6-foot depth and using six-sided concrete burial vaults. On September 27, the Albany City Commission voted 5-2 to approve the Islamic Center’s proposal with the aforementioned conditions. Ward I City Commissioner Jon Howard summarized his decision, explaining that “[The Islamic Center] met the 10 criteria we’ve approved, and even though a lot of us may leave here mad and frustrated tonight, with our city attorney [Nathan Davis] telling us we have no chance of winning a lawsuit if we refuse this special request, I’m going to support this measure” (ibid.). The Darr Al Rahma cemetery was successfully built and is now fully operational. References <ul> <li style="font-weight:400;">Fletcher, C. (2016, September 7). Planning board recommends cemetery approval for Islamic Center of Albany. Albany Herald. <a href="https://www.albanyherald.com/news/local/planning-board-recommends-cemetery-approval-for-islamic-center-of-albany/article_7403e366-4d68-5c63-9b35-acd0c5426ae4.html">Web</a>.</li> <li style="font-weight:400;">Fletcher, C. (2016, September 28). Albany commission OKs Islamic Center cemetery. Albany Herald. <a href="https://www.albanyherald.com/multimedia/albany-commission-oks-islamic-center-cemetery/collection_e1843012-85b7-11e6-a9b3-47ab2575925e.html#1">Web</a>.</li> </ul> Last Updated Date revised. June 16, 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/. Description An account of the resource In 2016, the Islamic Center of Albany requested to build a 123-plot cemetery on property the Islamic Center owned in Albany, GA. Residents expressed concerns about groundwater contamination, flooding, property values, aesthetics, and sanitation. After approval by the Albany-Dougherty Planning Commission, the Albany City Commission voted 5-2 to allow the cemetery's construction with conditions, including burials at a 6-foot depth and using six-sided concrete burial vaults. 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 Title A name given to the resource Albany, GA Approved Built Cemetery Public Campaign https://usmc.oxomeka.org/files/original/ee1cd8df2085c692265bf8425d47fc27.jpeg 3d72dab916297c71f2c83f8e3f6761a7 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://themuslimcemetery.com/ 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. Il_20 Location The location of the interview Homer Glen, IL Year Year the case began. 2023 Address Enter the full address, if it is available. 18131 S Meader Rd, Homer Glen, IL 60491 Plus Code Enter the plus code for the location, if it is available. H25R+9X Homer Glen, Illinois Proposed Project 40-acre Muslim cemetery with a maximum of 24,000 graves (<a class="in-cell-link" href="https://themuslimcemetery.com/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Muslim Ummah Cemetery</a>) Proposed By List the entity (legal entity or community name) that proposed the project. <a href="https://orlandparkprayercenter.org/">Orland Park Prayer Center</a> Type of Opposition Public Campaign, Vandalism, Legal Action, Local Ordinance Public Campaign Outcome Rejected, Approved, Approved with Modifications The cemetery was permitted use under the existing county rules before August 2023, when the Will County Board voted unanimously to require a special-use permit for cemetery development. This change did not apply retroactively to the Muslim Ummah Cemetery. Narrative Enter the narrative about the case here. In 2020, the Orland Park Prayer Center (OPPC), located about 40 minutes outside Chicago, purchased a 40-acre plot of land to construct the Muslim Ummah Cemetery in Homer Glen, IL. The community of nearly 30,000 Muslims, who are predominantly of Palestinian descent, had previously buried its members in a section of a mostly Christian cemetery until it ran out of space (Abdelaziz, 2024, Mar 15). Kifah Mustapha, the imam at OPPC, applied for the necessary permits and licenses to purchase and develop the land, raised enough money to construct the cemetery, and hired a law firm to represent the group’s interests (ibid.). On April 27, 2023, a petition opposing the cemetery's construction began, gathering over 1,500 signatures (Abdelaziz, 2024, Mar 15). Residents listed numerous concerns, including a lack of transparency, groundwater contamination, increased traffic, and environmental protection. More than 200 people, mostly critics of the proposed cemetery, attended a town hall in May to voice their opposition (ibid.). However, neither the county nor the state’s public health agencies found that the cemetery would create a credible public health concern. In response to the community opposition, Mustapha stated that “Every community had its own struggle, from the Irish to the Jewish community, to the Black and Latino community, so Muslims are no exception. But this goes against what this country is all about. We have the Constitution and laws that protect the rights of a citizen as an individual or as a community” (ibid.). Also in May, the Will County Land Use Committee and Planning and Zoning Commission began to research cemetery ordinances, as cemeteries had not been developed in unincorporated areas of Will County in more than two decades (Mullins, 2023, Aug 20). OPPC filed a permit on June 29 requesting that the Will County Land Use Department approve its use of the remaining 35 acres of the property, in addition to the 5 acres it had been granted initially (Kukulka, 2023, Jul 13). Construction of an access road leading to the Muslim Ummah Cemetery began in July (ibid.). On August 17, the Will County Board unanimously voted to require a special-use permit for cemetery development to “ensure their location minimizes any negative land use on neighbors” (Mullins, 2023, Aug 20). The ordinance change did not retroactively apply to the Muslim Ummah Cemetery, which had already received a permit to construct its cemetery, as well as road work, stormwater management, fencing, and landscaping (ibid.). The Muslim Ummah Cemetery was successfully built and has been fully operational since September 2023. More than two dozen burials have taken place, and there is enough space to accommodate 24,000 graves. Additionally, OPPC plans to expand its cemetery to include a funeral service facility that can transport, wash, and shroud bodies (Abdelaziz, 2024, Mar 15). Doing so would require a zoning change and approval by the Will County Board. References <ul> <li style="font-weight:400;">Abdelaziz, R. (2024, March 15). They Desperately Wanted To Build A Cemetery. Then Came The Backlash. Huffington Post. <a href="https://www.huffpost.com/entry/they-desperately-wanted-to-build-a-muslim-cemetery-then-came-the-backlash_n_65f33164e4b0dddcf7bd3501">Web</a>.</li> <li style="font-weight:400;">Kukulka, A. (2023, July 13). Will County officials say county action won’t stop construction for eco-friendly cemetery. Chicago Tribune. <a href="https://www.chicagotribune.com/2023/07/13/will-county-officials-say-county-action-wont-stop-construction-underway-for-eco-friendly-cemetery/">Web</a>.</li> <li style="font-weight:400;">Mullins, M. (2023, August 20). Special-use permit to be required for cemeteries. Daily Southtown. Available through <a href="https://infoweb.newsbank.com/apps/news/document-view?p=WORLDNEWS&docref=news/193877CD9AE34918&f=basic">NewsBank</a>.</li> </ul> Last Updated Date revised. June 16, 2004 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/. 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 Title A name given to the resource Homer Glen, IL Description An account of the resource In 2020, the Orland Park Prayer Center purchased a 40-acre plot of land in Homer Glen, IL, to construct the Muslim Ummah Cemetery. Local residents opposed its construction due to concerns about lack of transparency, groundwater contamination, and increased traffic. The Will County Board voted unanimously to require a special-use permit for cemetery development, which did not apply retroactively to the Muslim Ummah Cemetery. The cemetery successfully opened in September 2023. The Muslim community intends to construct a funeral service facility in the future. Approved Built Cemetery Legislation Public Campaign