https://usmc.oxomeka.org/files/original/a0e8e678290bf2926c27d2342dea0e5e.png 7262f628bba1f355c93a70515844ac90 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 This collection is more comprehensive than other compilations of cemetery cases, which cover a limited timeframe, are no longer current, or need to be updated (e.g., Pew Research Center 2012, Younes 2017, ACLU 2017, New America 2018, HuffPost 2024).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. Ma_04 Location The location of the interview Dudley, MA Year Year the case began. 2016 Address Enter the full address, if it is available. off Corbin Road [across from 176 Corbin Rd] Proposed Project The Islamic Society of Greater Worcester hopes to build a Muslim cemetery with 16,000 burial plots on 55 acres of vacant farmland off Corbin Road. Proposed By List the entity (legal entity or community name) that proposed the project. <a href="https://isgw.us/">The Islamic Society of Greater Worcester</a> Plus Code Enter the plus code for the location, if it is available. 33F7+4QX Dudley, Massachusetts Type of Opposition Public Campaign, Vandalism, Legal Action, Local Ordinance Public Campaign, Planning and Zoning Outcome Rejected, Approved, Approved with Modifications After the Islamic Society of Greater Worcester sued the town of Dudley, MA, and the Department of Justice launched its investigation, an agreement was reached allowing a permit for a 6-acre Muslim cemetery with a 10-year moratorium on expansion. Narrative Enter the narrative about the case here. In January 2016, the Islamic Society of Greater Worcester applied to the Dudley Zoning Board of Appeals for a special use permit to build a cemetery with up to 16,000 burial plots on 55 acres of vacant farmland. The town’s zoning regulations allowed for cemetery use with a special permit in the agricultural zone. In the weeks leading up to the first public hearing, Dudley residents launched an opposition campaign. Opponents cited concerns about groundwater contamination due to Muslim burial practices. At the February 4 hearing, several hundred residents attended to present a public petition opposing the cemetery permit (Boeri, 2016, Feb 5). Over the next months, the Zoning Board of Appeals continued public hearings on the project before finally denying the request during its meeting on June 9, 2016. The board based its unanimous decision on the claim that the property was under special-tax status and that the Islamic Society lacked legal standing to purchase it. According to the board, the property owner had not complied with the requirement to notify the town prior to the sale, thereby failing to give the town the right of first refusal (Laplaca, 2016, Jun 9). The Muslim community appealed the Board’s decision to the Massachusetts Land Court (MacQuarrie, 2016, Jul 5). In August, the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) announced it had opened an investigation into the town’s denial of the cemetery project as a potential violation of the Religious Land Use and Institutionalized Persons Act (RLUIPA) (Serhan, 2016, Aug 18). In December 2016, the Zoning Board of Appeals and the Islamic Society of Greater Worcester settled the case. The town granted the special permit for a six-acre cemetery with several conditions: a ten-year moratorium on any expansion beyond the six acres, the installation of buffer zones, and a maintenance agreement (LaPlaca, 2017, Mar 2). In April 2017, the Islamic Society released a statement that it would not pursue the cemetery project further out of financial considerations. The group announced it was seeking to reserve about 1,500 burial sites at Hope Cemetery, the municipal cemetery of Worcester (Murtishi, 2017, Apr 14). References <ul> <li style="font-weight:400;">Boeri, D. (2016, February 5). Proposal For Muslim Cemetery In Dudley Meets Opposition From Residents. WBUR. <a href="https://www.wbur.org/all-things-considered/2016/02/05/muslim-cemetery-proposal">Web.</a></li> <li style="font-weight:400;">Laplaca, D. (2016, June 9). Zoning board nixes Muslim cemetery. Telegram. <a href="https://www.telegram.com/story/news/local/south-west/2016/06/10/dudley-zoning-board-rejects-muslim-cemetery-application/27954817007/">Web.</a></li> <li style="font-weight:400;">Laplaca, D. (2017, March 2). Dudley board approves Muslim cemetery. Telegram. <a href="https://www.telegram.com/story/news/local/south-west/2017/03/03/dudley-board-approves-muslim-cemetery/22006573007/">Web.</a></li> <li style="font-weight:400;">MacQuarrie, B. (2016, July 5). Islamic group accuses Dudley of blocking Muslim cemetery. The Boston Globe. <a href="https://www.bostonglobe.com/metro/2016/07/05/islamic-group-files-suit-accusing-dudley-illegally-blocking-muslim-cemetery-plans/9TpLhOUWs8S3z2QoGmHPbM/story.html">Web.</a></li> <li style="font-weight:400;">Murtishi, A. (2017, April 14). Dead deal: Islamic Society abandons plan for Dudley cemetery. MassLive Media. <a href="https://www.masslive.com/news/worcester/2017/04/dead_deal_islamic_society_aban.html">Web.</a></li> <li style="font-weight:400;">Serhan, Y. (2016, August 18). One Massachusetts Town's Rejection of a Muslim Cemetery. The Atlantic. <a href="https://www.theatlantic.com/news/archive/2016/08/muslim-cemetery-rejection-investigation/496520/">Web.</a></li> </ul> 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 In June 2016, the Dudley, MA Zoning Board denied the Islamic Society of Greater Worcester's request for a cemetery permit on 55 acres of farmland, citing special-tax status and legal standing issues. According to the Board, the property owner had not notified the town before the sale, violating the right of first refusal. The Islamic Society sued Dudley, alleging "prejudicial treatment," prompting a Department of Justice investigation. The case drew national attention. In December 2016, an agreement allowed a 6-acre cemetery with a 10-year expansion moratorium. In April 2017, the Islamic Society withdrew the project due to financial issues and sought burial sites at Worcester’s Hope Cemetery. Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Sofia Fonti Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Oxford College of Emory University Title A name given to the resource Dudley, MA Approved (initial denial) Built Cemetery DOJ Relocated Withdrawn