https://usmc.oxomeka.org/files/original/2da72df0b834bbc3042db3e502a1a9c5.png 7b1ce042713a524635ac15c604de8eb3 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 Digital Rendering of Al Falah Center at the approved site [Online image]. (n.d.). Retrieved from https://www.alfalahcenter.org. https://usmc.oxomeka.org/files/original/a1d3c438873cfb68e19b216e58f42914.png 00bea28b381b33f26cff728feca5c419 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 Conceptual drawing for Mountaintop Road proposal [Online image]. (2015). Retrieved from https://www.mycentraljersey.com/story/news/local/somerset-county/2015/08/13/bridgewater-review-plans-mosque-route/31667433/ https://usmc.oxomeka.org/files/original/8ba77bb275f01162cdab78914a06149b.png 6753169b5e694a4b19ffdc038cb7aef2 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 Bridgewater Town Meeting to discuss zoning ordinances [Online image]. (2011). Retrieved from https://patch.com/new-jersey/bridgewater/al-falah-center-we-want-freedom-to-practice-religion  https://usmc.oxomeka.org/files/original/d53147ce99590d117b55390c3ccc7652.png 37ae092523902cb0c839111df2456b58 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 Sunday School at Al Falah Center [Online image]. (n.d.). Retrieved from https://www.alfalahcenter.org/sunday-school 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 New Jersey 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. Nj_06 Location The location of the interview Bridgewater, NJ Date January 2011-December 2014 Summary Enter a brief description of the case (no more than 600 characters). This should be one or two sentences. From January 2011, Bridgewater Township (NJ) stopped the Al Falah Center from building its proposed Islamic Center by imposing new zoning laws. The Al Falah Center took the case to the federal district court, where the Judge sided with the religious group. There was still pushback from the town, but a settlement was reached in December 2014. The Al Falah Center could have their Center in a different location but in a different location. The new property was bought by the town in exchange for the original site. The town also paid a total of $7.75 million in damages to the Muslim community. Address Enter the full address, if it is available. 1475 Mountain Top Road Bridgewater, NJ 08807 Proposed Project Al Falah wanted to convert an existing structure (banquet hall) into an Islamic Center with a worship center, daycare, elementary school, and community center, all called the Al Falah Center. Proposed By List the entity (legal entity or community name) that proposed the project. <a href="https://www.alfalahcenter.org/">Al Falah Center</a> Type of Opposition Public Campaign, Vandalism, Legal Action, Local Ordinance Local Ordinance; Campaign/Lawsuit Outcome Rejected, Approved, Approved with Modifications Settlement; approved with restrictions (new location); damages paid to Muslim community. Current Status: The Al Falah Center is a nascent organization. They have religious school on Saturdays and Sundays for minors and hold prayers for the Muslim communities of Somerset County. The community is holding their Friday (Jumuah) prayer at a local Ukrainian Catholic Church while still looking to expand and actively collecting donations. Narrative Enter the narrative about the case here. Preface In 2011, the Muslim Community in Bridgewater, NJ and the surrounding suburbs wanted to convert an existing, empty building into an Islamic Center with a mosque, daycare, elementary school, and community center, called the Al Falah Center. Even though hearings for the proposed Al Falah Center were already underway, Bridgewater Township changed its zoning laws while the proposal was under review. The new zoning ordinance stipulated that places of worship could only be situated along designated (approved) major roads. The proposed site for the Islamic Center, which was to be in the building previously used for the Redwood Inn, was not on one of these roads (Fleischer 2011, Apr 28). The reasons the town gave for the ordinances were traffic as well as the desire to preserve the “residential character” of the neighborhoods. The town had commissioned several professional reports: a traffic report, environmental report, and a noise issue report. All reports found no problem with the proposed location for the Al Falah Center (Levine 2011, Jan 21). The Timeline The first meeting of the Planning Board to review the proposal for the Islamic Center was scheduled to be held on January 24th, 2011. The meeting, however, was postponed until February 28th following vocal protests by residents. On February 28th, although a meeting was held, the final vote to approve the Center was postponed to March 28th. The reason given for delaying the procedures was that a ‘larger venue was needed’ to accommodate attendance at the hearings (“Islamic group sues…” 2011, Apr 28). On March 14th, the town changed its zoning ordinance limiting houses of worship to specific main roads. The new ordinance allowed the town to reject Al Falah’s proposal (Fleischer 2011, Apr 28). Al Falah objected to the process of delaying the approval process until after the town had changed its zoning regulations so that the town would no longer have to evaluate the Center’s application based on zoning laws in place at the time of the original application, which would have significantly increased the Center’s chances of approval. On April 26th, the Al Falah Center filed a lawsuit in federal district court in NJ against the town, which is now case No. 11-2397 (Al Falah Center vs. Twp of Bridgewater, 2014). Outcome The case by the Al Falah Center was built on the premise that in unnaturally accelerating the process of changing zoning ordinances, Bridgewater Township unfairly treated religious institutions as “less than equal” to nonreligious ones (Deak 2015, Aug 13). The federal court, led by Judge Shipp, sided with the Al Falah Center; the judge ruled that the Planning Board had to re-hear the mosque application without applying the new ordinance. The lawsuit was completed in September 2013. Negotiations, however, continued until December 2014. The township was still pushing back after Judge Shipp’s decision and filed a case to the U.S. Court of Appeals, which was stopped by an oppositional motion by the Al Falah Center and Judge Shipp’s denial of the town’s appeal (“Al Falah Center v. Township” 2015, Jan 28). Al Falah’s case was built on the ordinance being passed very fast, rather than the ordinance itself (Deak 2014, Dec 2). The Township maintained that the Al Falah Center could not be built on Mountaintop Road, and bought a $2.75 million dollar property to accommodate them elsewhere. In the final settlement from December 2014, the Township had to pay the Al Falah Center $5 million for damages incurred. Today, the Al Falah Center is up and running. Its official address is in Bedminster, which is a neighboring town of Bridgewater, also in Somerset County. While fundraising for the Islamic Center on the new property continues, the community is running its various programs such as daily prayers, the Friday congregational prayer, and educational activities out of different locations in the area: The Friday congregational prayer takes place in the banquet hall of a Ukrainian Catholic Church in neighboring Hillsborough Township (“Friday [Jummah] Prayer” 2018, May 17). Implications Judge Shipp emphasized that the Muslim community of Somerset County had been deprived of a house of worship for many years (Louis C. Hochman, B. 2014, Dec 7) and that the untimely and rushed passing of the zoning ordinance was unlawful. The strong support from a federal court helped increase the Muslim community’s visibility within the American framework. The damages paid by Bridgewater Township also helped jumpstart Al Falah’s operations on the Islamic Center. This case is often held up as an example of a lawsuit gone well for Muslims and inspires other groups in their own conflicts (Associated Press Newswires. 2017, May 24) with local government institutions to pursue their claims in the court system (“House Homeland Security” 2012, Jun 20). References Enter list of sources cited using the proper format. <ul><li>Deak, M. (2014, December 2). Bridgewater, mosque in land swap. My Central Jersey. Retrieved from <a href="https://www.mycentraljersey.com/story/news/local/somerset-county/2014/12/02/bridgewater-mosque-reach-settlement-million-land-swap/19775661/">https://www.mycentraljersey.com/story/news/local/somerset-county/2014/12/02/bridgewater-mosque-reach-settlement-million-land-swap/19775661/</a>.</li> <li>Deak, M. (2015, August 13) New plans for Bridgewater mosque. My Central Jersey. Retrieved from <a href="https://www.mycentraljersey.com/story/news/local/somerset-county/2015/08/13/bridgewater-review-plans-mosque-route/31667433">https://www.mycentraljersey.com/story/news/local/somerset-county/2015/08/13/bridgewater-review-plans-mosque-route/31667433</a>.</li> <li>Levine, A. (2011, January 21). Application for Mosque on Planning Board Agenda. Bridgewater Patch. Retrieved from <a href="https://archive.is/20120710063201/http:/bridgewater.patch.com/articles/application-for-mosque-on-planning-board-agenda#selection-1903.373-1903.374">https://archive.is/20120710063201/http://bridgewater.patch.com/articles/application-for-mosque-on-planning-board-agenda#selection-1903.373-1903.374</a>.</li> <li>Al Falah Center (2019, Jun 2). Al Falah Center and Bridgewater Township Reach Settlement. Retrieved from <a href="https://www.alfalahcenter.org/single-post/2016/05/08/Finding-support-and-help-how-your-community-can-make-a-difference">https://www.alfalahcenter.org/single-post/2016/05/08/Finding-support-and-help-how-your-community-can-make-a-difference</a>.</li> <li>Al Falah Center (2018, May 17). Friday (Jummah) Prayer Announcement. Retrieved from</li> <li><a href="https://www.alfalahcenter.org/upcoming-events">https://www.alfalahcenter.org/upcoming-events</a>.</li> <li>, L. (2014, December 2). Bridgewater mosque will be built, as township settles suit for $7.75 million. Retrieved from <a href="https://www.nj.com/somerset/2014/12/bridgewater_mosque_will_be_built_as_township_settles_suit_for_775_million.html">https://www.nj.com/somerset/2014/12/bridgewater_mosque_will_be_built_as_township_settles_suit_for_775_million.html</a>.</li> <li>Levine, A. (2011, July 20). Al Falah Center Lawsuit Continues Despite Township Motion For It To Be Dismissed. Retrieved from <a href="https://patch.com/new-jersey/bridgewater/al-falah-center-lawsuit-continues-despite-township-mo0d580456f3">https://patch.com/new-jersey/bridgewater/al-falah-center-lawsuit-continues-despite-township-mo0d580456f3</a>.</li> <li>Hochman, Louis C. B. (2014, December 7). Mosque will be built, suit settled.Hunterdon County Democrat (Flemington, NJ), p. 4. Available from NewsBank: Access World News – Historical and Current: <a href="https://infoweb-newsbank-com.proxy.library.emory.edu/apps/news/document-view?p=WORLDNEWS&docref=news/152126BEB6F95188">https://infoweb-newsbank-com.proxy.library.emory.edu/apps/news/document-view?p=WORLDNEWS&docref=news/152126BEB6F95188</a>.</li> <li>Al Falah Ctr. v. Twp. of Bridgewater, Civil Action No. 11-2397 (MAS) (LHG) (D.N.J. Jan. 6, 2014)</li> <li>Fleisher, L. (2011, April 28). Mosque in zone fight: New Jersey group sues after plans for center are thwarted. The Wall Street Journal. Available from Dow Jones Factiva: <a href="https://global-factiva-com.proxy.library.emory.edu/ha/default.aspx#./!?&_suid=157287699764306252502743976767">https://global-factiva-com.proxy.library.emory.edu/ha/default.aspx#./!?&_suid=157287699764306252502743976767</a>.</li> <li>(2017, May 24). Town agrees to settle lawsuits after denying plan for mosque. Associated Press Newswires. Available from Dow Jones Factiva: <a href="https://global-factiva-com.proxy.library.emory.edu/ha/default.aspx#./!?&_suid=157344136770809292107383172633">https://global-factiva-com.proxy.library.emory.edu/ha/default.aspx#./!?&_suid=157344136770809292107383172633</a>.</li> <li>Scribner, H. (2013, October 4). Federal ruling bars N.J. township from blocking mosque expansion.Deseret Morning News (Salt Lake City). Available from Nexus Uni: <a href="https://advance-lexis-com.proxy.library.emory.edu/api/document?collection=news&id=urn:contentItem:59H9-BDT1-JBRG-X0BP-00000-00&context=1516831">https://advance-lexis-com.proxy.library.emory.edu/api/document?collection=news&id=urn:contentItem:59H9-BDT1-JBRG-X0BP-00000-00&context=1516831</a>.</li> <li>(June 20, 2012). House Homeland Security Committee Hearing; "The American Muslim Response to Hearings on Radicalization within their Community."; Testimony by Faiza Patel, Co-Director, Liberty and National Security Program, Brennan Center for Justice.Congressional Documents and Publications. Available from Nexis Uni: <a href="https://advance-lexis-com.proxy.library.emory.edu/api/document?collection=news&id=urn:contentItem:55XW-5811-JCCP-030Y-00000-00&context=1516831">https://advance-lexis-com.proxy.library.emory.edu/api/document?collection=news&id=urn:contentItem:55XW-5811-JCCP-030Y-00000-00&context=1516831</a>.</li> <li>Al Falah Center Wins Injunction Against Bridgewater Township. (n.d.). Retrieved from <a href="https://www.brennancenter.org/our-work/analysis-opinion/al-falah-center-wins-injunction-against-bridgewater-township">https://www.brennancenter.org/our-work/analysis-opinion/al-falah-center-wins-injunction-against-bridgewater-township</a>.</li> <li>(2015, January 28) Al Falah Center v. Township of Bridgewater. (n.d.). Retrieved from <a href="https://www.brennancenter.org/our-work/court-cases/al-falah-center-v-township-bridgewater">https://www.brennancenter.org/our-work/court-cases/al-falah-center-v-township-bridgewater</a></li> <li>(2011, April 28). Islamic group sues N.J. town over mosque.USA TODAY. Available from Nexus Uni: <a href="https://advance-lexis-com.proxy.library.emory.edu/api/document?collection=news&id=urn:contentItem:52R8-W741-JC8N-K24H-00000-00&context=1516831">https://advance-lexis-com.proxy.library.emory.edu/api/document?collection=news&id=urn:contentItem:52R8-W741-JC8N-K24H-00000-00&context=1516831</a>.</li> <li>Fleisher, Blake. International Institute for Counter-Terrorism, 2015, https://www.ict.org.il/UserFiles/IRI-in-NJ-Fleisher-Mar15.pdf.</li> </ul> Last Updated Date revised. November 12, 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 Bridgewater, NJ Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Oxford College of Emory University Contributor An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource Ishika Gupta Description An account of the resource A documented account of Case No. NJ_06, occurring in Bridgewater, NJ, 08807 from January 2011 to December 2014 Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Ishika Gupta