https://usmc.oxomeka.org/files/original/5f4fbcb134cda5a7d015c729e76d3f69.png bcda5d414de99f6ffa2a865a2196dd7a 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 Fabbre, A. (2017). From left, Islamic Foundation of the Southwest Suburbs President Tamveer Iqbal and foundation members Zaki Basalath, Mahmood Akhter and Syed Pasha in front of the Plainfield former church building [Online image]. Retrieved from <a href="https://www.chicagotribune.com/suburbs/ct-plainfield-mosque-vote-met-20170919-story.html">https://www.chicagotribune.com/suburbs/ct-plainfield-mosque-vote-met-20170919-story.html.</a> https://usmc.oxomeka.org/files/original/06880f6cf821d46f92a28c4ed385a7dc.png fd523c66fca0ea15f8e0b45f53f2b656 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_18 Location The location of the interview Plainfield, IL Date August 7-September 18, 2017 Address Enter the full address, if it is available. 23616 W. Main St, Plainfield, Illinois 60544 Plus Code Enter the plus code for the location, if it is available. JR94+8H Coordinates Enter the coordinates for the location, if they are available. 41.6183° N, 88.1935° W Proposed By List the entity (legal entity or community name) that proposed the project. <a href="https://ifsws.org/">The Islamic Foundation of the Southwest Suburbs</a> Type of Opposition Public Campaign, Vandalism, Legal Action, Local Ordinance Public Campaign/Protest; Local Ordinance Last Updated Date revised. November 4, 2019 Summary Enter a brief description of the case (no more than 600 characters). This should be one or two sentences. On Monday, August 8th of year 2017, the Islamic Foundation of the Southwest Suburb in Plainfield, Illinois applied for a special use permit to open a Muslim community center on Main Street. However, The Plainfield Village Board rejected the request due to objections and concerns from Plainfield residents over traffic and parking spaces in nearby residential areas. A group of residents had drafted a petition asking the village board to deny the application. Even though the petition garnered only 69 signatures, the village board still rejected the Muslim community’s proposal. A revised proposal addressing some of the neighbors’ concerns was rejected as well. After claims of racial and religious discrimination and a strong public support for the mosque project, the Plainfield Village Board approved the project at its meeting on September 18th, 2017. Proposed Project In addition to a 38-space asphalt parking lot next to the building, the Muslim community center provides spaces for worship, storage, and other facilities useful to the people using the community center. Along with small playground equipment nearby, the community center is approximately 2.2 ± acres with 2800± square feet of built space over two levels. Nearby residential areas and properties are at least 90 to 100 feet away from the community center and 40 to 50 feet away from the parking lot (Bogda, 2017). Outcome Rejected, Approved, Approved with Modifications Denied; then approved. After many complaints of discrimination, the Plainfield Village Board passed Basalath and his group’s proposal on September 18th, 2017. This allowed the Muslim community to operate the mosque and community center on its property in a residential-zoned district at 23616 W. Main. St Narrative Enter the narrative about the case here. Basalath and Board Members Create Proposal Leaders of successful Muslim community center in Bolingbrook including Zaki Basalath-the secretary- and his group (the Islamic Foundation of the Southwest Suburbs, a non-profit organization) wanted to open a Muslim facility in Plainfield. Basalath and his group has held numerous prayer services in a storefront in Route 59 for ten years in the Plainfield area and earlier in the year of 2017, the group bought the former church site/Montessori school for $580,000 and requested the Plainfield Village Board for permission to open a Muslim community center. However, there were various concerns and objections from the public in terms of allowing the religious center to operate in a residential area. The Local Community and Public Protest The Muslim group had great dilemma and objection for their proposal from the Plainfield residents surrounding the desired location of the Mosque (Muslim community) due to traffic and parking concerns even though the location used to be a church and Montessori school in the past. A group of residents had drafted a petition asking the village board to deny the application. Even though the petition garnered only 69 signatures, the village board still rejected the Muslim community’s proposal. Basalath claimed that the opposition to his and his group’s request was motivated by racial and religious discrimination. Therefore, soon on September 18th, there was a meeting between the Southwest Suburban Activists and Illinois Stop Moving Backwards for reconsideration of the results, also urging local residents to attend and speak up in favor of the Muslim community. The Muslim group refused to give up on their Mosque proposal by organizing an online event called “Stand with Muslims in Plainfield to Demand Approval of a Mosque!” on Facebook, promoting and inviting Plainfield residents to join the Plainfield Village Board meeting to support a local Muslim group which was denied to practice their religion freely-praying and worshipping- for no logical reason. The Revised Proposal After the second objection from the Plainfield village board, Basalath and members of the Islamic Foundation of the Southwest Suburbs revised their proposal utilizing the feedback and discussion from the meeting on August 7th when a motion to table the discussion was voted down. “The revised proposal included: no parking on Ash street along the property’s frontage; dense landscaping to prevent headlights from shining into nearby homes; an occupancy limit of 114 people based on the existing capacity of 38 parking spaces in the parking lot; and ‘resident only’ parking on Maple Court” (Ortiz, 2018). After reviewing the revised proposal, the Village Board stated that the Mosque property usage was more reasonable and possible than the first proposal. Outcome After many failures and objections due to minor traffic and parking problems, the Muslim community center was able to move forward on September 18th by getting their proposal accepted due to numerous claims of religious and racial discrimination and an original no vote from those who were Muslims in Plainfield and other people who strongly supported the Muslim community. Over 100 people attended the meeting, and an overwhelming majority of people supported the construction of the Muslim Community Center and moved forward even though there were some restrictions and conditions including owners having to follow parking restrictions and installing a privacy fence for nearby residents. It was a rare case where many members of the public actually supported the Muslim community within their residential area. Therefore, there were several agreements made in terms of the operation of the community center, including the costs for design and engineering of the community center could not go over $1 million, and the overall construction could not cost over $4.8 million. Current Status For over a year of planning, raising profit, and construction, the mosque in Plainfield opened on May 11th, 2018. There was an open house and ribbon-cutting the day before the Mosque officially opened to the public. The public officials and residents of Plainfield took tours of the Muslim Community Center, “ate food the foundation served, and even participated in a Q&A session with members of the Muslim community” (Ortiz, 2018). Basalath also stated that the Muslim community received many different welcoming phone calls and gifts delivered to them which made him realize how warm of a community Plainfield actually is. References Enter list of sources cited using the proper format. Local <ul><li>Antinori, Shannon and Staff, Patch. (2017, August 28th). ‘Stand with Muslims in Plainfield’ Event Planned After Muslim Center Voted Down. Plainfield Local News. Retrieved from <a href="https://patch.com/illinois/plainfield/stand-muslims-plainfield-event-planned-after-muslim-center-voted-down">https://patch.com/illinois/plainfield/stand-muslims-plainfield-event-planned-after-muslim-center-voted-down</a>.</li> <li>Plainfield trustees approve site plan for Pace lot. (2017, September 22). Real Estate Monitor Worldwide. Retrieved from <a href="https://advance-lexis-com.proxy.library.emory.edu/api/document?collection=news&id=urn:contentItem:5PJ2-S9R1-F11P-X3RB-00000-00&context=1516831"></a>.</li> <li>Mallory, M. (2017, September 19). Plainfield trustees allow attorney to draft ordinance to allow mosque in neighborhood. Herald News, The (Joliet, IL). 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/16704B260C7DFB98">https://infoweb-newsbank-com.proxy.library.emory.edu/apps/news/document-view?p=WORLDNEWS&docref=news/16704B260C7DFB98</a>.</li> </ul>Regional <ul><li>Fabbre, Alicia (2017, September 20th). Suburban mosque proposal advances despite opposition from some neighbors. Chicago tribune. <a href="https://www.chicagotribune.com/suburbs/ct-plainfield-mosque-vote-met-20170919-story.html">https://www.chicagotribune.com/suburbs/ct-plainfield-mosque-vote-met-20170919-story.html</a>.</li> <li>Hush, Chris (2017, September 18th). Proposed Plainfield Mosque Approved After Initial Rejection. NBC 5 Chicago. <a href="https://www.nbcchicago.com/news/local/Planned-Plainfield-Mosque-Approved-After-Initial-Rejection-445558553.html">https://www.nbcchicago.com/news/local/Planned-Plainfield-Mosque-Approved-After-Initial-Rejection-445558553.html</a>.</li> <li>Watson, J. (2008, Mar 01). Prayer chain: A world of worship -- here at home. Indianapolis Star Retrieved from <a href="https://login.proxy.library.emory.edu/login?url=https://search-proquest-com.proxy.library.emory.edu/docview/240975345?accountid=10747"></a></li> </ul>National <ul><li>Mallory, M. (2017, September 13). Plainfield residents speak out in support of Muslim group. Herald News, The (Joliet, IL). 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/166E896A702EF600">https://infoweb-newsbank-com.proxy.library.emory.edu/apps/news/document-view?p=WORLDNEWS&docref=news/166E896A702EF600</a>. Ortiz, Alex (2018, May 13th). Plainfield mosque opens its doors after a year of planning. The Herald-News. <a href="https://www.theherald-news.com/2018/05/11/plainfield-mosque-opens-its-doors-after-a-year-of-planning/a66gg73/">https://www.theherald-news.com/2018/05/11/plainfield-mosque-opens-its-doors-after-a-year-of-planning/a66gg73/</a>.</li> <li>Tucker, G. (2017, October 11). Plainfield mosque gets last stamp of approval. Bugle, The (Niles, IL). 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/1677BF3DB7D7EDD0">https://infoweb-newsbank-com.proxy.library.emory.edu/apps/news/document-view?p=WORLDNEWS&docref=news/1677BF3DB7D7EDD0</a>.</li> </ul>Other files: Bogda, Andrew and Proulx, Jonathan (2017, June 16th). Special Use for Religious Assembly (Public Hearing). Local Plan Commission. <a href="https://legistarweb-production.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads/attachment/pdf/80332/Plainfield_Community_Center_Staff_Report_and_Photos.pdf">https://legistarweb-production.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads/attachment/pdf/80332/Plainfield_Community_Center_Staff_Report_and_Photos.pdf</a>. 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 Plainfield, IL Description An account of the resource A documented account of Case No. IL_18, occurring in Plainfield, IL, 60544 from August to September 2017 Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Yubin Kwon Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Oxford College of Emory University