NASHVILLE, Tenn. — A judge in Tennessee ruled Tuesday that the public wasn’t properly notified about a meeting where local officials approved the plan for a proposed mosque, meaning construction of the disputed project will be stopped.
Chancellor Robert Corlew noted that his ruling doesn’t stop the Rutherford County Planning Commission from reconsidering the issue and voting on the mosque-site plan again, as long as any action it takes is for “non-discriminatory reasons.”
Lead plaintiff Kevin Fisher wrote in an e-mail, “Justice is served.”
Saleh Sbenaty, a spokesman for the Islamic Center of Murfreesboro, said the ruling was disappointing but his group remained committed to building the center. They have been worshipping for many years at a smaller site in Murfreesboro, a city of about 100,000 people southeast of Nashville.
The opponents of the Tennessee mosque have fought for two years to stop construction. During lengthy hearings in 2010, they presented testimony that in effect put Islam on trial.
A string of witnesses questioned whether Islam is a legitimate religion and promoted a theory that American Muslims want to replace the Constitution with extremist Islamic law and the mosque was a part of that plot.
Front Section, Pages 7 on 05/30/2012