https://usmc.oxomeka.org/files/original/6ff10bec359b16f8ee5bb6fd86eb66f9.jpg 2ee54cbb75850e38d17e50c808765c2b 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 This collection is more comprehensive than other compilations of cemetery cases, which cover a limited timeframe, are no longer current, or need to be updated (e.g., Pew Research Center 2012, Younes 2017, ACLU 2017, New America 2018, HuffPost 2024).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. De_01 Location The location of the interview New Castle County, DE Year Year the case began. 2020 Address Enter the full address, if it is available. 786 Port Penn Rd, Middletown, DE 19709 Plus Code Enter the plus code for the location, if it is available. G99P+3P Middletown, Delaware Proposed Project 942-plot cemetery with 1,000 square-foot building Proposed By List the entity (legal entity or community name) that proposed the project. <a href="https://www.facebook.com/p/A-Light-of-Hope-100069426126447/">A Light of Hope</a> Type of Opposition Public Campaign, Vandalism, Legal Action, Local Ordinance Public Campaign, Legislation Outcome Rejected, Approved, Approved with Modifications The cease-and-desist order was lifted after the cemetery worked with the Delaware Department of Transportation to pave a driveway and add parking spaces. Narrative Enter the narrative about the case here. A Light of Hope is an organization that provides religious and educational services to the local Muslim community in Delaware. In addition to establishing a mosque and funeral home where they perform washing and shrouding for free, A Light of Hope constructed a Muslim cemetery in New Castle County. Previously, families needed to drive more than an hour to the nearest Muslim cemetery in South Jersey or opt for a non-Muslim burial ground (Read, 2020, Mar 5). In February 2020, after only three burials had taken place, the property failed a code inspection and was subsequently issued a cease-and-desist order to halt all burials (Cherry, 2020, Feb 28). Though current zoning allows for new cemetery use, no land use plans have been approved by the county. State Representative Kevin Hensley, whose district covers the unauthorized cemetery, said in a Facebook post that he had received multiple calls from constituents about “suspicious” activity at the property (ibid.). County officials stated that the cease-and-desist order would be in effect until they approve all required land use plan submissions and any associated site improvements. Additionally, New Castle County would have discretion over how the proposed property would impact traffic, noise, and similar criteria (ibid.). The next month, leaders from A Light of Hope met with county officials to obtain approval for their cemetery (Bodies Buried Along, 2020, Mar 4). The property did not comply with local codes as it did not contain parking and walkways. During a press conference, New Castle County Executive Matt Meyer stated that the cemetery could continue burying people without special permission once safety concerns were met (Porter, 2020, Mar 4). On March 5, it was reported that A Light of Hope was working with the Delaware Department of Transportation (DelDOT) to pave a driveway and add parking spaces. The cease-and-desist order was temporarily lifted for humanitarian reasons to allow for the burial of 1-year-old Ja-Ziyah Gordon, who was taken off life support after being born with a heart defect and contracting a deadly lung disease (Cease and desist order lifted, 2020, Mar 4). In August 2020, about 70 people who live near the Muslim cemetery met to ask county officials questions about the approved project (Parrish, 2020, Sep 2). The meeting was initially scheduled for March 25 but was delayed due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Residents mainly voiced their concerns about the risk of groundwater contamination. In response, public health officials stated that they did not believe water contamination would occur based on the water flow and history of the land (ibid.). Questions about environmental regulations and how the county would monitor water quality were left unanswered because officials from the Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control (DNREC) were invited to the meeting but did not attend. Naveed Baqir, a representative from A Light of Hope, briefly spoke to the crowd, stating that many of the residents’ questions could have been answered if they had contacted the organization. Additionally, Baqir accused Hensley, who organized the meeting, of exhibiting racist behavior by not including the Muslim community in the conversation. “I feel like I am crashing the party today because I was not invited. The Muslim community was not invited,” he said. “You are asking the right questions to the wrong people” (ibid.). In response, Port Penn residents claimed their concerns were not racially motivated and instead related to the quality of their water supply. Hensley stated that he did not invite anyone specifically to the meeting and only posted about the event on Facebook. Ultimately, the cease-and-desist order was lifted after a driveway and parking spaces were added. New Castle County authorized 942 burials and the construction of a 1,000-square-foot building (ibid.). The Muslim Cemetery of Delaware is now fully operational. References <ul> <li style="font-weight:400;">Bodies Buried Along Delaware Road Raises Red Flags. (2020, March 4). NBC10 Philadelphia. <a href="https://www.nbcphiladelphia.com/news/local/bodies-buried-along-delaware-road-raises-red-flags/2314971/">Web</a>.</li> <li style="font-weight:400;">Cease and desist order lifted at Delaware’s only Muslim cemetery. (2020, March 4). ABC6 Philadelphia. <a href="https://6abc.com/muslim-cemetery-of-delaware-burial-gravem-new-cast-county/5986197/">Web</a>.</li> <li style="font-weight:400;">Cherry, A. (2020, February 28). New Castle County halts burials at unauthorized cemetery in Port Penn. WDEL 107.1FM. <a href="https://www.wdel.com/news/new-castle-county-halts-burials-at-unauthorized-cemetery-in-port-penn/article_715003b8-5a69-11ea-a58b-abb087f2267b.html">Web</a>.</li> <li style="font-weight:400;">Parrish, A. (2020, September 2). Concerns over Muslim cemetery in Port Penn continue. The News Journal. <a href="https://www.delawareonline.com/story/news/local/2020/08/27/concerns-over-muslim-cemetery-port-penn-continue/5645167002/">Web</a>.</li> <li style="font-weight:400;">Porter, I. (2020, March 4). Burials will proceed at Muslim cemetery once safety conditions are addressed. The News Journal. <a href="https://www.delawareonline.com/story/news/2020/03/04/burials-proceed-muslim-cemetery-port-penn/4954998002/">Web</a>.</li> <li style="font-weight:400;">Read, Z. (2020, March 5). Delaware’s only Muslim cemetery can resume burials after cease-and-desist order lifted. The Philadelphia Tribune. <a href="https://www.phillytrib.com/news/state_and_region/delaware-s-only-muslim-cemetery-can-resume-burials-after-cease-and-desist-order-lifted/article_e3ae30d0-5ed1-11ea-bd63-bb9e61e9b9bb.html">Web</a>.</li> </ul> Last Updated Date revised. July 10, 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 February 2020, the Muslim Cemetery of Delaware failed a code inspection and was subsequently issued a cease-and-desist order to halt all burials. Multiple residents had called State Representative Kevin Hensley regarding “suspicious” activity at the site. In March, the cease-and-desist order was temporarily lifted to allow for the burial of a one-year-old child. Residents met in August to voice their concerns about groundwater contamination. 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 New Castle County, DE Approved Built Cemetery Planning and Zoning Public Campaign