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 This collection is more comprehensive than other compilations of cemetery cases, which cover a limited timeframe, are no longer current, or need to be updated (e.g., Pew Research Center 2012, Younes 2017, ACLU 2017, New America 2018, HuffPost 2024).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 Florian Pohl Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Oxford College of Emory University Approved Built Cemetery Public Campaign