https://usmc.oxomeka.org/files/original/9d0fe206ce7dbfc874a18ce687fbf307.jpg 7fb342f26a9ba59784d7f11e503b8de3 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 Tennessee 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. Tn_01 Location The location of the interview Murfreesboro, TN Date May 2010-July 2014 Summary Enter a brief description of the case (no more than 600 characters). This should be one or two sentences. After more than thirty years in the community, the Islamic Center of Murfreesboro (ICM) encounters fierce opposition in 2010 when the county approves ICM’s plans to build a new mosque for its growing congregation. Efforts to thwart the building project include intimidation and threats, incidents of arson and vandalism, public statements by politicians, and a prolonged legal campaign that, among others, advances the claim that the Muslim community did not deserve First Amendment protections because Islam is not a religion. Support for the Muslim community comes from local groups but also includes help on the national level from a broad interfaith coalition. The Department of Justice intervened twice in the legal process on behalf of ICM ensuring that the Muslim community receives the required permits to use its new mosque in time for Ramadan in 2012. Although all pending legal cases are finally dismissed in July 2014 after the U.S. Supreme Court refuses to hear the opposition’s appeal, ICM continues to experience ongoing harassment and obstruction for projects such as its cemetery adjacent to the mosque. Address Enter the full address, if it is available. 2606 Veals Rd, Murfreesboro, TN 37127 Proposed Project Islamic community center (mosque; cemetery; school; swimming pool; gymnasium) Proposed By List the entity (legal entity or community name) that proposed the project. <a href="http://www.icmtn.org/">The Islamic Center of Murfreesboro</a> Type of Opposition Public Campaign, Vandalism, Legal Action, Local Ordinance bias-related incident; crimes against property; public speech; public campaign; legal campaign Outcome Rejected, Approved, Approved with Modifications The Islamic Center of Murfreesboro’s construction plans were initially approved, but ICM faced controversy and a long litigatory ordeal where their right to construct a mosque was repeatedly challenged in multiple trials. Following support from the Department of Justice, the mosque was finally granted a certificate of occupancy to reopen, after the local Chancellor attempted to block Rutherford County from granting the mosque one. References Enter list of sources cited using the proper format. <ul> <li>Allyn, Bobby (2012, Jul 30). Mosque opponents file federal motion to stop Islamic Center of Murfreesboro. The Tennessean. Web.</li> <li>Associated Press (2010, Nov 17). Judge refuses to stop construction of US mosque. Web.</li> <li>Associated Press (2013, Jun 13). Man pleads not guilty to Murfreesboro mosque threats. Web.</li> <li>Becket Fund for Religious Liberty (2012, Aug 8). Murfreesboro Media Information Sheet. Web.</li> <li>Broden, Scott (2010, Jun 21). Mosque expansion proposal in Murfreesboro spotlights fear, shame. The Tennessean. Web.</li> <li>Broden, Scott (2012, Aug 5). Murfreesboro church’s crosses offer message to Muslims.” The Tennessean. Web.</li> <li>Broden, Scott (2012, Aug 24). Murfreesboro mosque opponents keep fighting. The Tennessean. Web.</li> <li>Brown, Robbie and Hauser, Christine (2012, Aug 10). After a Struggle, Mosque Opens in Tennessee. The New York Times. Web.</li> <li>George, Stephen (2010, Sep 9). Opponents of the Murfreesboro mosque say it’s not about religion. Their Muslim neighbors aren’t buying it. Nashville Scene. Web.</li> <li>Gowan, Annie (2010, Aug 23). Nowhere near Ground Zero, but no more welcome; Outcry over mosque proposals in Tennessee and elsewhere could be a sign of rising anti-Muslim sentiment across the country. The Washington Post. Web.</li> <li>Grantham, Christian (2010, Oct 21). Witnesses fund lawsuit against local mosque. The Murfreesboro Post. Web.</li> <li>Echegaray, Chris (2010, Jun 17). Murfreesboro mosque plan ignites backlash. The Tennessean. Web.</li> <li>Kemph, Marie (2012, Jul 18). UPDATED: Federal judge allows Murfreesboro mosque to reopen. The Murfreesboro Post. Web.</li> <li>Loller, Travis (2012, May 29). Judge stops construction of Tennessee mosque. Associated Press. Web.</li> <li>Loller, Travis (2010, Sep 18). Mosque foes want restraining order – County attorney denies claims in complaint. The Commercial Appeal. Web.</li> <li>McGreal, Chris (2010, Sep 10). Muslims in America increasingly alienated as hatred grows in Bible belt. The Guardian. Web.</li> <li>Nelson, Lauren (2012, Jul 18). Federal judge sides with Tennessee mosque in time for Ramadan. The Los Angeles Times. Web.</li> <li>Pew Research Center (2010, Aug 24). Public Remains Conflicted Over Islam. Web.</li> <li>Rapoport, Abby (2012, Jul 19). Sharia Scare in Tennessee. The American Prospect. Web.</li> <li>Schelzig, Erik (2010, Jul 27). Tenn. Gov hopeful questions if Islam is a ‘cult.’ Associated Press. Web.</li> <li>Smietana, Bob (2011, May 6). Muslims made unwelcome as times toughen. The Tennessean. Web.</li> <li>Smietana, Bob (2012, Aug 11). Murfreesboro mosque opens after years of controversy. The Tennessean. Web.</li> <li>Smietana, Bob (2014, Jun 3). Murfreesboro mosque fight laid to rest after Supreme Court ruling. The Tennessean. Web.</li> <li>Stockard, Sam (2010, Nov 23). Mosque lawsuit boils down to dislike of Islam. The Daily News Journal. Web.</li> <li>The Daily News Journal (2010, Jan 21). Editorial: Vandalism a sign of stupidity. Web.</li> <li>The Murfreesboro Post (2012, Jul 2). Judge blocks Murfreesboro mosque from reopening. Web.</li> <li>The Tennessean (2014, Jun 19). Dismissal could end Murfreesboro mosque cemetery case. Web.</li> </ul> Narrative Enter the narrative about the case here. The Islamic Center of Murfreesboro (ICM) was established in the 1980s for a burgeoning Muslim American community located 35 miles southeast of Nashville, TN. By 2009, they had outgrown their smaller prayer space in southwestern Murfreesboro and purchased 15 acres of land in the eastern section of town. Construction for the new center, which would include a12,000 square-foot mosque, a cemetery, social space, a school as well as a swimming pool and gymnasium, began the following year in 2010. Although the project received unanimous approval from the county’s planning commission, a conservative minority in the community and leaders from ultra-conservative organizations mobilized public opposition against the project. On May 24, 2010, the Rutherford County Planning Commission approved plans for the Islamic Center of Murfreesboro to be constructed on Veals Road. However, in the wake of a Rutherford County Commission town hall hosted in June 17, 2010 to accommodate citizens’ concerns about the project, the proposed mosque site was met with fierce dissent from across the nation, as Murfreesboro was thrust into the national spotlight alongside the Park 51 project, a New York City prayer center that opponents deemed to be too close to the site of the September 11, 2001 tragedy. However, the Rutherford County Planning Commission affirmed its approval for the mosque in early August 2010, with construction crews breaking ground on August 20, 2010. Over the next four years ICM was subject to intimidation and threats, incidents of arson and vandalism, public statements by politicians, and a prolonged legal campaign that, among others, advanced the claim that the Muslim community did not deserve First Amendment protections because Islam is not a religion. Opponents included both local groups and leaders from ultra-conservative organizations such as Proclaiming Justice to the Nation. Mobilization in support of the Muslim community included student groups from the Middle Tennessee State University as well as national organizations such as the ACLU and SPLC. The legal campaign against the center started in September 2010 with opponents seeking an injunction in Rutherford County Chancery Court to halt construction. In addition to claiming the county had violated open meeting laws, the lawsuit (10CV-1443) centrally alleged that Islam was not a religion and that the Muslim community therefore was not entitled First Amendment protections—an argument which the attorney for the opposition, Joe Brandon, sought to make repeatedly during the hearing portion of the trial. Frank Gaffney of the Center for Security Policy, whom the Southern Poverty Law Center lists as “one of America’s most notorious Islamophobes,” was called by the opposition as an expert witness. Legal support for ICM came from the Interfaith Committee on Mosques and from the Department of Justice which issued an amicus brief asserting that the U.S. throughout its history had acknowledged that Islam is a religion entitled to constitutional protection. Ultimately, the state court dismissed the opposition’s charges except for the public-notice claim. This allowed opponents to file a subsequent claim. The subsequent lawsuit against the project centered solely on the charge that the county had failed to provide adequate public notice about the mosque. Taking place in the shadow of increased public mobilization in Tennessee around an anti-Sharia bill, the trial ended with the state court finding on May 29, 2012 that the county had failed to offer the public sufficient opportunity for public input. Although the county had followed regular procedure, the court held that the project required a heightened notice requirement and special handling by the county because of the significant concerns it caused among residents. Following his finding, County Judge Robert E. Corlew III ruled that the county could not grant an occupancy permit to the mosque. In response to the requirement that the county withhold the occupancy permit, ICM and the DOJ file to separate lawsuits against the county. With the support of the Becket fund, ICM sued the county for violation of its religious freedom and equal treatment under RLUIPA. More than 100 faith leaders signed an open letter in support of ICM’s religious freedom and equal treatment claims. In a separate lawsuit (United States v. Rutherford County, Tennessee [(M.D. Tenn.]), the DOJ made similar RLUIPA claims against the county and filed a motion for a temporary restraining order, which the court granted the same day. The order enjoined the county to issue a temporary occupancy permit allowing ICM to use its new mosque for the Ramadan celebrations in early August 2012. At the ICM’s grand opening in November 2012, Attorney General Thomas Perez delivered remarks that touched upon the DOJ’s commitment to securing religious freedom rights for Muslim Americans. Despite strong local and national support and although all pending legal cases were finally dismissed in July 2014 after the U.S. Supreme Court had refused to hear the opposition’s appeal, ICM has continued to experience ongoing harassment and obstruction. Year Year the case began. 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/. Title A name given to the resource Murfreesboro, TN [Islamic Center] Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Nabihah Khan Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Oxford College of Emory University Description An account of the resource After more than thirty years in the community, the Islamic Center of Murfreesboro (ICM) encounters fierce opposition in 2010 when the county approves ICM’s plans to build a new mosque for its growing congregation. Efforts to thwart the building project include intimidation and threats, incidents of arson and vandalism, public statements by politicians, and a prolonged legal campaign that, among others, advances the claim that the Muslim community did not deserve First Admendment protections because Islam is not a religon. Although all pending legal cases are finally dismissed in July 2014 after the U.S. Supreme Court refuses to hear the opposition’s appeal, ICM continues to experience ongoing harassment and obstruction for projects such as its cemetery adjacent to the mosque. Approved Bias-related Incident Built Crimes Against Property DOJ Lawsuit (RLUIPA) Legal Campaign Mosque Public Campaign Public Speech