Controversy continues over new Islamic Center

While the controversy surrounding the construction of the new Islamic Center of Murfreesboro has sparked several instances of vandalism and threats of violence, opponents argue that the issue at hand is about more than just a conflict of religious beliefs.

One construction vehicle was set ablaze Saturday before dawn, and three others were doused in gasoline, according to officials with the Rutherford County Sheriff's Department. Both the FBI and Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms Agency, are now investigating the incident as well.

The Islamic Center began construction of a new 52,000-square-foot building on Veals Road last week, a topic that has been the subject of much debate since the permits were issued in May. Once the building is completed, it will include a place for worship, a gymnasium, outdoor playground and 10,000-square-foot mosque.

Imam Ossama Bahloul of the Islamic Center of Murfreesboro maintains that actions such as these are limited to a small group of individuals and do not reflect on the community as a whole.

"You can't expect everyone to agree with you all the time, and I can't expect everyone to accept us," Bahloul said. "Although this is very sad, I know that the majority of these people are nice people and we will continue to pray that peace and tranquility will enter their hearts."

Many residents spent most of the summer organizing protests and meetings to voice their objections to the Rutherford County Commission's handling of its approval of the new center, while others have expressed concern about Islam in general.

The issue at the forefront of the debate has been portrayed as a conflict of religious ideologies and suppression of religious freedom, but a large group of those in opposition to the mosque have declared that their concerns are not solely founded on religious beliefs.

In spite of this recent attack on the mosque, which authorities are investigating as a possible hate crime, the majority of the opposition suggests that the primary issues at hand are those related to due process, safety and public notification of construction in a rural area such as Veals Road.

Kevin Fisher, who is actively involved in Rutherford County politics, is among community leaders who have expressed disapproval about the new center. He has led marches and distributed petitions to further his cause.

"We came seeking relief," Fisher said during a County Commission meeting Aug. 12. "We came seeking justice and due process."

Instead, Fisher said that he and others opposed to the mosque have been stereotyped as racists, and told by many that their concerns mean nothing.

"My main objection is that it was not given due process of notifying people," said Sally Wall, a well-known businesswoman and lifelong Rutherford County resident. "I thought you were supposed to publish it in a paper that most people read and is distributed throughout the county, and I also thought you were supposed to notify every adjoining property owner - they didn't."

Bahloul said that proper notification did take place, and that there were plenty of opportunities for Rutherford County residents to learn about and discuss the proposed mosque.

"We posted a big sign informing [local residents] that this was the future site of the mosque," Bahloul said. "It was given even more importance after the sign was vandalized, [and] we held two seminars, hosted a dinner, and we also published our intentions in The Murfreesboro Post."

Bahloul said the site on Veals Road was chosen for purely economic reasons, and that the Islamic Center has followed all the necessary procedures for planning the construction. However, many residents have taken this statement into question.

"What bothers me is that it got through the Planning Commission in 17 days," Wall said. "I've been in the real estate business for 40 years, and I've seen the Planning Commission ruin people by holding up the process [of construction] – they just passed it so fast that your head would swim."

Fisher said that Doug Demosi, director of the Rutherford County Planning Commission, has "let [Rutherford County residents] down," saying Demossi's failure to inform the community was part of the reason some residents felt the decision to approve the mosque may have appeared hastily.

"[Doug Demosi] did not properly inform the public that [the Rutherford County Commission meeting hearing the mosque's plans] was to be held on May 24," Fisher said. "This meeting over the mosque issue was the only one not posted on the website."

Fisher also said that Demosi didn't inform Commissioner Robert Peay Jr., who represents the district in which the mosque is to built, about the plan or its progress. Many have brought the politics involved in the approval of the center's construction into question, and there has been some concern about exactly how the proposal was passed by the Planning Commission.

"There are times when we have had very political Planning Commissions, and the commissions have a political agenda a very big part of the time," Wall said. "It's human nature – I'm not being accusatory, but I've seen it."

"One man on the Commission told me that he was blindsided by it," Wall said. "I asked him, ‘Why didn't you say something to the planning director about it,' and he just got a glazed-over look in his eyes and didn't answer that."

Bahloul said the timetable and procedures of the mosque's planning should be of no concern, and that any fears of potential wrongdoing are misplaced.

"We are doing everything 100 percent right, and we will obey the law," Bahloul said. "We have no intention of any illegal activity, and at the mosque we wish to uphold the law."

Marie Kemph, news editor, contributed to this report.