https://usmc.oxomeka.org/files/original/aa630652fb5c15daf8f2a24f2dd98bc2.jpeg 8de8bddbce46b2ea2eb4ef600e22c3dc 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 This collection is more comprehensive than other compilations of cemetery cases, which cover a limited timeframe, are no longer current, or need to be updated (e.g., Pew Research Center 2012, Younes 2017, ACLU 2017, New America 2018, HuffPost 2024).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. Ga_07 Location The location of the interview Gwinnett County, GA Date August-October 2015 Address Enter the full address, if it is available. 3362 Skyland Drive, Loganville, GA 30052 Proposed Project The Community of Bosniaks Georgia attempted to build a cemetery on a 12.59-acre plot zoned for single-family residences. Although the site met zoning requirements for a place of worship, cemetery use required a special use permit. The proposed cemetery project consisted of a 4,000 square-foot worship facility, 2,050 burial plots, and a parking lot. Proposed By List the entity (legal entity or community name) that proposed the project. <a href="https://zbga.org/">Community of Bosniaks, Georgia</a> Year Year the case began. 2015 Plus Code Enter the plus code for the location, if it is available. R2M7+P4 Loganville, Georgia Type of Opposition Public Campaign, Vandalism, Legal Action, Local Ordinance Public Speech, Public Campaign, Administrative Denial Outcome Rejected, Approved, Approved with Modifications The Board of Commissioners voted unanimously to deny the petition, and the Muslim community decided not to appeal but to look for a different property. County staff and the planning commission had recommended approval with conditions, such as dropping the number of plots from the proposed 2,050 to 500. Narrative Enter the narrative about the case here. Narrative In October 2015, the Gwinnett County Board of Commissioners denied a special use permit to the Community for Bosniaks Georgia for a cemetery development in a sparsely-populated suburban community near Snellville, GA. The Community of Bosniaks sought the cemetery for members of the organization, which predominantly includes Muslim Bosnian immigrants that settled in Gwinnett County following the Balkan Wars (Poole, 2006, May 24). The 12.59-acre cemetery project, which would have accommodated 2,050 burial plots and a 4,000 square-foot worship facility for funeral services, would have been the first Bosnian cemetery in the Atlanta metropolitan area. The site met zoning requirements for a place of worship, but cemetery use required a special use permit. Although the county’s Planning Department and the Planning Commission had recommended approval, the Gwinnett County Board of Commissions denied the permit on October 27, following a month-long citizen-led campaign against the cemetery. The Community for Bosniaks did not appeal the rejection, opting instead to search for a different property. Public opposition emerged early in the review process. County officials fielded phone calls and emails urging them to reject the project. Homes surrounding the lot had bright red yard signs, “Save our community, no cemetery.” Facebook comments raised suspicion of “these types of people in our community” (Kass, 2015, Oct 27). Public opposition continued at the October 6 Planning Commission meeting, drawing a standing-room-only crowd. A Norcross resident, Joe Newton, circulated a petition “in opposition to the mosque” (Yeomans, 2015, Oct 6). Residents voiced concerns about increased traffic burden, noise complaints, and an expected decrease in property values. They cited the conclusions of a hired real estate appraiser estimating the depreciation in property value at 6-38 percent (ibid.). Members of the Community of Bosniaks addressed the concerns at the meeting. Ultimately, the Planning Commission followed the Planning Department and recommended the Gwinnett County Board of Commissioners approve the special use permit with conditions. Those conditions included a maximum of 500 burial plots, a minimum distance of 150 feet between graves and the property line, and the use of the worship facility exclusively for funeral services (ibid.). Despite the Planning Commission’s recommendation for approval, the Gwinnett County Board of Commissioners denied the petition. At its public meeting on October 27, the Commission voted unanimously to reject the cemetery application without providing an official explanation for the denial. One committee member subsequently cited last-minute changes by the applicant as reasons (Kauffman, 2015, Oct 28). Despite their disappointment, the Community of Bosniaks stated they did not intend to appeal the decision but planned to look elsewhere for a suitable cemetery property (Kass, 2015, Oct 28). The cemetery project continued to be a point of debate in Snellville’s mayoral and city council elections in November 2015. References <ul><li>Kass, A. (2015, October 28). Bosnian leader says he won't challenge Gwinnett cemetery denial. The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. Available from NewsBank: Access World News – Historical and Current: https://infoweb-newsbank-com.proxy.library.emory.edu/apps/news/document-view?p=WORLDNEWS&docref=news/158C784EDC727880.</li> <li>Kass, A. (2015, October 27). Muslims seek rezoning for cemetery: Gwinnett commission expected to decide on contentious issue. The Atlanta Journal-Constitution, p. B1. Available from NewsBank: Access World News – Historical and Current: https://infoweb-newsbank-com.proxy.library.emory.edu/apps/news/document-view?p=WORLDNEWS&docref=news/158BCA2D87660330.</li> <li>Kauffman, J. (2015, Oct 28). Gwinnett denies group’s bid for mostly Muslim cemetery. WABE News. Available at https://www.wabe.org/gwinnett-denies-group-s-bid-mostly-muslim-cemetery.</li> <li>Poole, S. M. (2006, May 24). Building on faith: Muslims will worship, grow in new mosques. The Atlanta Journal-Constitution, p. F1. Available from NewsBank: Access World News – Historical and Current: https://infoweb-newsbank-com.proxy.library.emory.edu/apps/news/document-view?p=WORLDNEWS&docref=news/111D0362B42A41B0.</li> <li>Yeomans, C. (2015, October 6). Planning commissioners OK Bosnian cemetery over community objections. Gwinnett Daily Post. Available from NewsBank: Access World News – Historical and Current: https://infoweb-newsbank-com.proxy.library.emory.edu/apps/news/document-view?p=WORLDNEWS&docref=news/1585411960AB6740.</li> </ul> Last Updated Date revised. April 12, 2022 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 Snellville, GA Description An account of the resource Following public protest in 2015, the Gwinnett County Commission votes unanimously to deny the Community of Bosniaks’ petition for a cemetery. The Community of Bosniaks declined to appeal the denial, although the county’s staff review and planning commission had recommended approval with conditions. Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Geneva Cunningham, Ben Damon, and Sofia Fonti Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Oxford College of Emory University Cemetery Denied Not Built Planning and Zoning Public Campaign Public Speech