https://usmc.oxomeka.org/files/original/2d7dd0285140752e23446761e26dac4a.png a64629cccf0a97826896ff174d290206 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 This collection is more comprehensive than other compilations of cemetery cases, which cover a limited timeframe, are no longer current, or need to be updated (e.g., Pew Research Center 2012, Younes 2017, ACLU 2017, New America 2018, HuffPost 2024).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. Tn_00 Location The location of the interview Fayette County, TN Year Year the case began. 2004 Address Enter the full address, if it is available. 900 Orr Road, Arlington, TN 38002 Plus Code Enter the plus code for the location, if it is available. 79JM+2J Arlington, Tennessee Proposed Project The intended cemetery site was a 5-acre section of a 27-acre tract zoned for rural residential use. Proposed By List the entity (legal entity or community name) that proposed the project. <a class="in-cell-link" href="https://muslimsocietyofmemphis.org/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Muslim Society of Memphis</a> Type of Opposition Public Campaign, Vandalism, Legal Action, Local Ordinance Public Campaign, Planning and Zoning Outcome Rejected, Approved, Approved with Modifications Approved (initial denial) Narrative Enter the narrative about the case here. In Fayette County, Tennessee, the Muslim Society of Memphis proposed establishing a cemetery on an unused sod farm approximately 20 miles east of the city. This proposal led to significant local opposition. The intended cemetery site was a 5-acre section of a 27-acre tract zoned for rural residential use. The Muslim Society required a “special use" zoning exemption from the Fayette County Planning Commission to proceed. Although the planning commission approved the request, a committee of the elected county commission disapproved it, leading to the withdrawal of the application before a full vote by the county commission. Local residents expressed a range of concerns at a planning commission meeting. Some feared that the cemetery could be used as a terrorist staging ground or pose health risks due to the traditional Muslim practice of not embalming their dead (Baird, 2004, Dec 25). Belinda Ghosheh, one of the property owners, reported feeling threatened by the hostile atmosphere at the county commission meeting (ibid.). Dr. Zaman, president of the Muslim Society of Memphis, mentioned that the proposal had been under discussion for three years (Ferguson, 2005, Jan 4). Despite the planning commission's initial approval and the presence of 17 existing cemeteries in the area, including one directly across the road, strong resistance led to the withdrawal of the application. The decision to withdraw was also influenced by a concern that a rejection would preclude future applications for the same site. Following the local protest, Dr. Zaman reported that the Department of Justice had contacted him, expressing interest in investigating whether the opposition violated the Religious Land Use and Institutionalized Persons Act (Ferguson, 2005, Jan 4). He indicated that the Muslim Society of Memphis was exploring other legal avenues to establish the cemetery on the same land, highlighting the group's determination to secure a burial place for their community (ibid.). Eventually, the Muslim Society of Memphis succeeded in getting the project approved. Today, they proudly list the cemetery <a href="https://muslimsocietyofmemphis.org/">on their website</a> as the "[f]irst Muslim Cemetery in Mid-South on 27.5 acres of beautiful rolling land by I-40E, complete with a durable Masjid, capable of accommodating the regional burial needs of Muslims for centuries." References <ul> <li style="font-weight:400;">Baird, W. (2004, December 25). Cemetery plans spur anti-Muslim sentiment. Mobile Register (AL), p. 07. Available from <a href="https://infoweb-newsbank-com.proxy.library.emory.edu/apps/news/openurl?ctx_ver=z39.88-2004&rft_id=info%3Asid/infoweb.newsbank.com&svc_dat=WORLDNEWS&req_dat=0D0CB4F3D1A01B2A&rft_val_format=info%3Aofi/fmt%3Akev%3Amtx%3Actx&rft_dat=document_id%3Anews%252F1079504166585CB5">NewsBank</a>.</li> <li style="font-weight:400;">Ferguson, B. (2005, January 4). Tennessee residents reject plans for Muslim cemetery. Arab News. <a href="https://www.arabnews.com/node/260515">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 The Muslim Society of Memphis proposed a cemetery in Fayette County, Tennessee, encountering substantial local opposition due to fears of terrorism and health risks. Despite initial setbacks and a withdrawn application, the Society eventually secured approval. The cemetery, now operational, ensures regional burial needs for Muslims are met. 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 Title A name given to the resource Fayette County, TN Approved (initial denial) Built Cemetery Planning and Zoning Public Campaign