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Chronology of Islam in America (2010)
By Abdus Sattar Ghazali
July 2010
Hameeduddin elected New Jersey town mayor
July 1: In Teaneck, New Jeresey, Mohammed Hameeduddin, a Muslim, who first got involved in local politics when his mosque was planning to expand, was picked by his fellow town council members, 5-to-2, as the town’s new mayor. There’s a pretty traditional tale in Mr. Hameeduddin’s rise from the son of immigrants from Hyderabad, India. His father, Mohammed Hameeduddin Sr., was a founding member of the Darul-Islah Mosque in Teaneck. The younger Mr. Hameeduddin, an entrepreneur now working in title insurance, is remembered by classmates as one of the cool kids at Teaneck High School. He first became interested in public life after 9/11 when he decided to speak out about misperceptions of Muslim culture. After getting involved in the mosque issue, he served on the town planning board from 2006 to 2008 and then on the town council. As a result, Mr. Hameeduddin’s election got a lot of publicity. (Abridged from New York Times)
20,000 attend ISNA Convention
July 4: Around 20,000 people from all across North America attended Islamic Society of North America's 47th annual convention in Chicago. Featuring the convention, were Tariq Ramadan, Hamza Yusuf, Suhaib Webb, the Grand Mufti of Egypt, Ali Gomaa, and many well-known scholars around the nation. Among the many highlights of the ISNA weekend was the Interfaith Unity Banquet, held on July 4th. The 13th annual banquet attracted leaders from diverse faiths representing national and local organizations and institutions along with government officials, including the Consulate General of France. The 2010 Unity award was presented to the Northern Illinois Conference of the United Methodist Church for its outstanding contributions to interfaith relations, dedication to the advancement of peace, justice, and community harmony, and its advocacy and sincere friendship for the American Muslim community. The NIC consists of 400 local churches with about 125,000 members. Muslims have worked closely with the United Methodist Church in campaigning for social justice, peace, and equity.
FBI Asked to Probe Arson at Georgia Mosque
July 6: The Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) today called on the FBI to investigate a possible bias motive for a fire at a Georgia mosque that officials say "appears" to be intentionally set. CAIR reported that the fire broke out last night at the Islamic Center of Marietta (Masjid Al-Hedaya) and resulted in severe damage to the facility. Evidence of forcible entry and vandalism were discovered at the site. Local authorities are investigating the blaze as a possible hate crime.
Flames raced through the front entrance and damaged the prayer hall at the mosque on Powder Springs Street in Marietta. The damage to the mosque is extensive. Fire destroyed the front entrance of Masjid Al Head just after a group of Muslim men wrapped up their last prayer and left for the evening. "Given the recent wave of incidents targeting American mosques, a possible bias motive for this apparent arson attack must be considered," said CAIR National Communications Director Ibrahim Hooper. "Unfortunately, there is a vocal minority in our society promoting anti-Muslim bigotry, and that minority is experiencing little or no pushback from mainstream religious and political leaders." (CAIR)
Calif. Muslim Called 'Raghead,' Assaulted by July 4th Revelers
July 7, 2010 -- The Greater Los Angeles Area office of the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR-LA) today reported that a Muslim volunteer staffing an information booth outside an Inland Empire mosque was allegedly assaulted by two revelers on their way to a July 4th fireworks show. CAIR-LA is urging local law enforcement authorities and the FBI to investigate the incident as a possible hate crime. The alleged victim, who is a Navy reservist, reported to CAIR-LA that he was staffing a booth in front of the Islamic Society of Corona-Norco (ISCN) on Sunday evening to answer questions about Islam and Muslims from people passing by to attend the city’s fireworks display at Santana Park. The booth included a sign stating, "Ask a Muslim." Members of the mosque were also distributing bottled water to those attending the city’s fireworks show -- as had been the mosque’s custom in the past. According to the Muslim victim, one of two men who were walking toward the park saw the booth and yelled, "This is bulls**t." The Muslim volunteer replied, "I’ll answer any questions that you have." That reply was allegedly met with, "I’m going to knock you out." According to eyewitness accounts, both men charged at the mosque volunteer and punched him in the face. When one of the assailants was arrested, he reportedly suggested that the arresting officer "kick out" all the "ragheads." (CAIR)
British terrorism policy flaws 'increased risk of attacks', Says Former Police Chief
July 7: Britain's fight against terrorism has been a disaster, because its "flawed, neo-conservative" direction alienated Muslims and increased the chances of terrorist attacks, a former leading counter-terrorism officer has told the Guardian. Speaking to mark today's fifth anniversary of the 7 July attacks in London, Dr Robert Lambert said the atrocity had led the Labor government to launch not just the publicly declared battle against al-Qaida, but a much wider counter-subversive campaign that targeted non-violent Muslims and branded them as supporters of violence.
Lambert said the Labor government adopted a "flawed, neo-con analysis to react to 7 July. The view was that this is such an evil ideology, we are entitled to derogate from human rights considerations even further." The effect of this, said Lambert, was to cast the net too wide: "The [British] analysis was a continuation of the [US] analysis after 9/11, which drove the war on terror, to say al-Qaida is a tip of a dangerous Islamist iceberg ... we went to war not against terrorism, but against ideas, the belief that al-Qaida was a violent end of a subversive movement."
Lambert said this approach alienated British Muslims, as those who expressed views such as opposition to the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, also held by non-Muslims, feared that holding such beliefs made them suspects."The best way of tackling al-Qaida is to reassure the communities where it seeks support and recruits, is to show those communities that their grievances can be expressed legitimately," Lambert said. (The Guardian)
Mosque protest a perversion of American values
July 8: Commenting on a planned protest against the Murfreesboro, Tenn mosque, Knoxville News said: “While they have every right to speak out, their outrage is misguided at best and at worst is unbridled bigotry. These protesters want to deny fellow Americans the right to worship as they see fit. Few stances are as directly opposed to shared American values. Americans who follow Islam are no less Americans than those who worship in a church, cathedral or synagogue. Or Americans who choose not to worship a higher power at all….Alas, the Murfreesboro madness isn't an isolated case. In May residents of Brentwood mounted a successful campaign to block the rezoning of land for a mosque in that city. The Murfreesboro mosque doesn't require rezoning, so at least opponents can't clothe their prejudice in legal cloth...A protest against the mosque would put the ugly side of American ignorance on display. It would be an affront to the fundamental truths we hold dear about our country. All true patriots should be appalled and stand in opposition to such a perversion of our values. (Knoxville News Editorial)
Muslim woman sues New Jersey Medical Center for religious discrimination
July 11: Rona Mohammedi went to Somerset Medical Center the night of Feb. 11 with severe chest pains. After hearing she would need an electrocardiogram, she asked for a female to conduct the test. A Muslim, Mohammedi wears traditional garb, including the hijab, or head scarf. Instead of heeding her request, officials let her languish in the emergency room for five hours until 3:10 a.m., when her husband sought a transfer. She is suing the hospital for discrimination and violating the Patient Bill of Rights. The complaint filed May 14 in Superior Court in Somerville raises the question of how far hospitals must go for religious accommodations. The rights listed in state statutes say patients can expect treatment without discrimination, and respectful care consistent with sound medical practices. Mohammedi's lawyer, Tariq Hussain, said the hospital failed those basic tenets. "According to the patients' bill of rights that exist in New Jersey, hospitals are required to make reasonable accommodations for patients for various reasons," he said. "Patients should not be denied service or discriminated against based on religion." (The Star Ledger)
Chicago hotel backs out on Muslim group's conference
July 11: The controversial American arm of an international Islamic group, Hizb ut-Tahrir, has been bounced from the Marriott in Oak Brook, where organizers were set to host the group's second annual conference. Critics believe the conference, dedicated to reviving the prevailing system of rule that immediately followed the death of the Prophet Muhammad, is an effort to turn American Muslims against the U.S. government. "We're not attacking or bringing anybody down or humiliating," said Ayman Hamed, a conference organizer who lives in Chicago Ridge. "It's just not about that. We're talking about Islam the way it should be understood." But a Washington-based interest group called Responsible for Equality and Liberty, or REAL, said that although Hizb ut-Tahrir explicitly condemns violence, its ideology suggests otherwise. Hamed said the group signed a contract with the hotel in mid-May that explicitly stated the hotel could not cancel unless there was a catastrophic event or it was discovered that conference participants would engage in illegal or criminal activity. A month later, Hamed said he received an e-mail telling him the conference could not be held at the hotel. He later received a letter and refund check in the mail, he said. (Chicago Tribune)
Middle Tennessee city Islamic center opposed
July 14: A proposed mosque and Islamic center in Murfreesboro, Tennessee, is dividing the city about 35 miles southeast of Nashville, Tennessee. Residents are battling about whether the center should exist, and if not, why not. The Islamic Center of Murfreesboro currently resides in the southwest part of town. The center purchased a new 15-acre site just a few miles to the east in November for $320,000, according to its website, with plans to build on the property. Proponents of the mosque allege the opponents are displaying religious intolerance, while people fighting the mosque say zoning concerns and worries about Islamic radicalism are their chief concerns. Several hundred opponents marching from a middle school to a courthouse faced off against roughly the same number of counter-protesters today. The rhetoric was heated. Protesters bore signs with slogans such as "mosque leaders support killing converts." "In Islam, a mosque means 'We have conquered this country,'" one man told CNN affiliate WTVF. "And where are they? They're in the center of Tennessee. They're going to say, 'We have conquered Tennessee.'" Despite the polarizing debate, the march was nonviolent. Murfreesboro Police spokesman Kyle Evans said that "no reports of any kind" were filed. A statement on the center's website said that 95 percent of the money for the project was raised locally, in middle Tennessee, in a three-month period. (CNN)
CAIR asks Florida Tea Party to drop anti-Islam speaker
July 16: The Washington-based Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR), a prominent national Muslim civil rights and advocacy organization, today called on a Tea Party group in Florida to drop an extremist anti-Islam speaker who has stated that Muslims should not be allowed to hold public office, that an American Muslim "cannot be a loyal citizen" and that Islam is the "real enemy." CAIR said the group Emerald Coast Tea Party Patriots has invited Brigitte Gabriel, the head of the anti-Islam hate group ACT! for America, to be the keynote speaker at its "U.S. Constitution Freedom Rally" on August 21 in Fort Walton Beach, Fla. CAIR is also calling on political candidates scheduled to appear at the event, including GOP Senate candidate Marco Rubio, to cancel their appearances unless Gabriel is dropped as a speaker.
"Now is the time for Tea Party leaders to clearly demonstrate that their movement will not allow itself to be associated with bigotry of any kind, including Islamophobia," said CAIR National Communications Director Ibrahim Hooper. Hooper noted that along with her stated desire to have Muslims barred from public office, Gabriel has also claimed that Arabs "have no soul" and that Muslims worship "something they call 'Allah,' which is very different from the God we believe [in]."Earlier this year, a person staffing an ACT! for America information table in Florida was caught on video bragging that he desecrated the Quran, Islam's revealed text, and urinates in the washing stations Muslims use to perform their ritual ablutions (wudu) for prayer.
Gabriel told the Australian Jewish News: "Every practising Muslim is a radical Muslim." She also claimed that "Islamo-fascism is a politically-correct word. . .it's the vehicle for Islam. . .Islam is the problem." When asked whether Americans should "resist Muslims who want to seek political office in this nation," Gabriel said: "Absolutely. If a Muslim who has -- who is -- a practicing Muslim who believes the word of the Koran to be the word of Allah, who abides by Islam, who goes to mosque and prays every Friday, who prays five times a day -- this practicing Muslim, who believes in the teachings of the Koran, cannot be a loyal citizen to the United States of America." (CAIR)
Educational response to 'Burn a Koran Day' suggested
July 19: The Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) today called on American Muslims to respond to a Florida church's planned "International Burn a Koran Day" by hosting educational "Share the Quran" Ramadan fast-breaking dinners (iftars) at which copies of Islam's holy text will be distributed to neighbors, public and law enforcement officials and journalists. (The month-long Islamic fast of Ramadan will begin in August.) Representatives of the Dove World Outreach Center in Gainesville, Fla., say they will burn a Quran outside the church on September 11 and are encouraging others to follow their example. This is the same controversial church that has been in the news for claiming that "Islam is of the devil" and for protesting recently outside a local mosque. (CAIR)
ADC & coalition partners condemn UC-Irvine recommendation to suspend UCI-MSU
July 23: The American-Arab Anti-Discrimination Committee (ADC), along with 14 other civil rights organizations and professional associations from across the nation, including the Asian Law Caucus, Center for Constitutional Rights and Jewish Voice for Peace, today sent a letter to Chancellor Michael Drake at the University of California at Irvine ("UCI"), condemning the recommended suspension of the University's Muslim Student Union ("MSU"). UCI is considering suspending the MSU for allegedly coordinating the actions of 10 non-violent student protestors who interrupted the Israeli Ambassador's public speech in February. The joint letter in part says:
“We, the undersigned civil rights organizations and professional bar associations from across the United States, write to express our strong condemnation of the recommended suspension of the U.C. Irvine Muslim Student Union (MSU) for allegedly coordinating the actions of the 101 non-violent student protesters who interrupted Israeli Ambassador Michael Oren’s February 8, 2010 public speech with brief objections, before leaving voluntarily and peacefully. The MSU rejects UCI’s factual determinations of its involvement with the protest, and is currently appealing the proposed ban; nonetheless, for the following reasons, we urge UCI abandon all efforts to suspend the MSU.
“The proposed suspension of the MSU would deprive hundreds of current and future Muslim students of their fundamental First Amendment right to association. UCI’s MSU has been in existence for over 20 years, and has over 100 active members and approximately 250 registered students. It organizes hundreds of events each year, most of which aim to nurture its members’ spirituality through religious services, interfaith discussions, and charity work. Singling out the only organization on campus dedicated to the issues and concerns of Muslim students not only devalues the Muslim community as a whole, but also evinces political and religious discrimination on the part of UCI administrators. The presence of a Muslim Student Union on the UCI campus is particularly critical in the post-9/11 era. Following September 11th, Muslims in America have faced intensified hate crimes, violence, and discrimination, as well as racial, ethnic, and religious profiling by local and federal law enforcement. FBI harassment and surveillance of Muslims in Irvine, including UCI MSU students, is well-documented; for example, in 2009, FBI informant Craig Monteilh confessed to surveilling many local mosques and community groups. Many Muslims in the area have reported that they are afraid to attend mosques or community centers for fear of harassment, discrimination, or interrogation. This hostile environment makes the presence of a safe space on campus for Muslim students all the more necessary. Disbanding the MSU, even temporarily, greatly exacerbates these larger harms and further stigmatizes the Muslim community. Even if another Muslim group is allowed to form to alleviate these concerns, banning the MSU nonetheless marginalizes this vulnerable community and brands them as perpetual outsiders.”
“The MSU has consistently denied coordinating the Oren protest. However, even if UCI could prove otherwise, the recommendation to suspend the MSU is unparalleled in its severity. UCI cannot claim this recommendation is an application of neutral policies, given the lack of precedent for the suspension of a University of California student group for something other than hazing- or alcohol-related charges. These ten students are hardly the first to protest speakers on University campuses; there have been countless campus protests of speakers, many of which were even officially sanctioned by student groups, none of which resulted in the types of sanctions here proposed…… “ Signatories to the letter include the following organizations: Asian Law Caucus, Afghan-American Bar Association, American Muslims for Palestine, American-Arab Anti-Discrimination Committee, Arab Resource & Organizing Center, Center for Constitutional Rights, Coalition for Humane Immigrant Rights of Los Angeles, Council on American-Islamic Relations - California, Jewish Voice for Peace, Muslim Bar Association of Southern California, Muslim Legal Fund of America, National Lawyers Guild, Sikh Coalition, South Asian Americans Leading Together, and the South Asian Bar Association - Northern California. (ADC)
Anti-Islam hate group leader trains Va. Terror Task Force
July 24: The Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) today called on the FBI and Virginia's Tidewater Joint Terrorism Task Force to explain why a leader of an anti-Islam hate group was invited to offer training to state and federal law enforcement officers. Robert Spencer, co-founder of the hate group Stop the Islamization of America (SIOA), claimed in a blog post today that he "gave two two-hour seminars on the belief-system of Islamic jihadists to the Tidewater Joint Terrorism Task Force" on July 21. In a recent interview, Spencer referred to Islam's Prophet Muhammad as a "con man." "Our nation's law enforcement personnel should not receive training from the head of a hate group that seeks to demonize Islam and to prevent American Muslims from exercising their rights as citizens," said CAIR National Communications Director Ibrahim Hooper. "Robert Spencer is the same individual who claims in his new book that President Obama is waging 'war on America.'" He noted that Spencer recently co-authored the book, "The Post-American Presidency: The Obama Administration's War on America," that sounds a "wake-up call for Americans to stop the Obama administration from limiting our hard-won freedoms, silencing our democratic voices, and irreparably harming America for generations to come."
Hooper said the United States Patent and Trademark Office refused to grant SIOA a trademark because: "The applied-for mark refers to Muslims in a disparaging manner because by definition it implies that conversion or conformity to Islam is something that needs to be stopped or caused to cease." SOIA has come to prominence through shrill opposition to the building of American mosques, anti-Islam bus and taxi advertising campaigns, support for European far-right groups and Islamophobes such as the English Defence League and Geert Wilders, and bigoted anti-Islam statements by its co-leader, Pamela Geller. Geller has claimed that "Hitler and the Nazis were inspired by Islam" and offered rhetorical support to both accused Serbian war criminal Radovan Karadzic and slain Apartheid-era leader Eugene Terre'blanche. Geller and Spencer offered support for a call to wipe the nation of Pakistan off the map using India's nuclear weapons. They both used their blogs to promote a video urging the mass killing of all Pakistanis.
This is not the first incident in which national security personnel received anti-Islam training. The Naval Criminal Investigative Service (NCIS) recently acknowledged that an anti-Islam film should not have been used in training offered to security personnel by that military law enforcement agency. Earlier this year, CAIR's Washington state chapter announced a webinar on security technology for law enforcement personnel co-sponsored by Security Solutions International (SSI) was canceled after two of the presenters withdrew from the event due to community concerns about SSI's anti-Islam bias. (CAIR)
Tennessee Lt. Governor: Islam may be a 'cult'
July 28: Tennessee Lt. Gov. Ron Ramsey, one of three Republican candidates running for governor, has drawn rebukes after suggesting that Islam may be a “cult” instead of a religion. Ramsey, speaking earlier this month at a campaign stop in Chattanooga, was asked by an audience member about the threat posed to the United States by Muslims. Ramsey replied that he’s “all about freedom of religion,” even mentioning that Muslims are attempting to construct a mosque in a nearby county. “But you cross the line when they start trying to bring Sharia law into the United States,” he said, referring to the strict Islamic law enforced in some majority-Muslim nations. Ramsey continued, “Now you could even argue whether being a Muslim is actually a religion, or is it a nationality, a way of life, or cult – whatever you want to call it. We do protect our religions, but at the same time, this is something that we are going to have to face.” The remarks brought a swift rebuke from the Council on American-Islamic Relations, the country’s most prominent Islamic civil liberties group. CAIR’s spokesman, Ibrahim Hooper, told the Chattanooga Times Free Press that Ramsey’s remark “seems to be part of a trend nationwide in which there are those who are seeking to delegitimize the faith of Islam so that Muslim civil and religious rights can somehow be restricted.” (Politico)
Texas mosque targeted by arson, hate graffiti, slurs
July 28: The Texas office of the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR-TX) reported today that local police and the FBI are investigating possibly bias-motivated incidents of arson, hate graffiti and racial slurs targeting a mosque in that state.CAIR-TX said a fire on July 25 at the playground of Dar El-Eman Islamic Center in Arlington, Texas, followed an incident two days earlier in which obscene anti-Muslim graffiti was discovered in the mosque's parking lot. A third incident involved racial slurs being shouted at worshippers on July 25. A spokesperson for Arlington police told CAIR that arson investigators and the FBI are involved in the probe. Police patrols have been stepped up in the area surrounding the mosque. (CAIR)
Tea Partiers freak over Six Flags Muslim Day
July 30: Tea partiers and other anti-Islam activists are freaking out about a Muslim Family Day planned for several Six Flags parks around the country on Sept. 12, the day after the World Trade Center attacks. The event, sponsored by the Islamic Circle of North America (ICNA), offers Muslim families a chance to hang at the amusement park and be catered to by modestly dressed employees and halal food vendors. While Six Flags has been holding these events since 2000 for the 42-year-old Muslim nonprofit, apparently this year, it's getting more attention, both because it falls on the weekend of Sept. 11 and also because of the ongoing controversy about the Muslim center planned a few blocks away from Ground Zero in New York. Naturally Glenn Beck, who mocked the event on his show last week, and Fox News have stoked the paranoia and opposition, giving the day ample coverage. Last week, Fox hosted guests who have suggested that the ICNA is a front for Hamas and other terrorist groups. Now, tea partiers are in a full froth about the event and there are already calls to boycott the bankrupt amusement park chain.
On the Tea Party Patriots website, a member posted an item entitled, "Stop Six Flags Muslim Family Day" which includes a missive from Annie Hamilton, an L.A. woman leading the charge against the park. She writes: Muslim Day at Six Flags is inappropriate for a multitude of reasons and I'm saddened and shocked by the ignorance of the Corporate folks and by the action that now must be taken by the rest of us.
None of the tea party commentaries mention that one of the men who first established the Muslim Family Day event in 2000 was himself killed in the attack on the World Trade Center. Nor do they seem to understand that the scheduling issue has far more to do with the Muslim calendar than any intentional desire to link the event to 9/11. The event is designed to celebrate the end of Ramadan, which ends on Sept. 10 this year. ICNA obviously didn't want to have its festivities on 9/11, so scheduled it for the next day. (Some tea partiers, meanwhile, have actually scheduled a big political rally on the National Mall for the anniversary of 9/11, but they don't see a big problem with that.) And far from being a "Muslim Brotherhood" front, ICNA's president is Muhammad Yunus, who won the Nobel Peace Price for his work pioneering microlending through the Grameen Bank in Bangladesh. (Mother Jones)
ICNA Announces Muslim Family Day 2010
July 21: The Islamic Circle of North America announced today that Muslim Family Day 2010, being held at Six Flags locations across the United States in celebration of Eid Al-Fitr. Commemorated by Muslims around the globe, Eid Al-Fitr marks the end of the holy month of Ramadan. Ramadan is determined by the lunar calendar and is expected to begin during the second week of August this year. Muslim Family Day 2010 will be held at the following locations:
Jackson, NJ (September 10)
Dallas, TX (September 12)
Chicago, IL (September 12)
Washington, DC (September 12)
Springfield, MA (September 18)
Los Angeles, CA (September 18)
San Francisco, CA (September 18)
Atlanta, GA (October 2)
An ICNA statement said: “Over the years, Muslim Family Day has become a staple in the American Muslim community. The event has attracted over 100,000 in the past two years alone. Muslim Family Day was first held in 2000 at Six Flags Great Adventure in Jackson, NJ. The tragic events of September 11th, which resulted in the loss of thousands of innocent lives, also affected this event directly. Tariq Amanullah, the chief organizer of Muslim Family Day, worked on the 96th floor of World Trade Center, Tower 2, and was a victim of the attacks. Through its various endeavors, ICNA honors his memory of building bridges between communities.” “We hope the religious season will be spiritually enhancing for Muslims around the world and across the US. We also extend congratulations to our Jewish friends, who will be celebrating Rosh Hashanah the same weekend of Eid Al-Fitr,” said Naeem Baig, Vice President for Public Affairs. (ICNA)
Temecula, CA mosque plans stir controversy
July 30: Holding signs that read “Muslims Danced with Joy on 9/11” and “Mosques are Monuments to Terrorism,” about 35 critics rallied across the street from the Islamic Center of Temecula Valley this afternoon to protest the center’s plans to build a mosque in the city. Using a bullhorn, the protesters shouted anti-Islamic slogans as Muslim families came to worship Friday afternoon. “Go back home” and “We don’t want you here,” the protesters said. The worshipers were generally shielded from the protesters as more than 70 mosque supporters — Christians, Mormons, Jews, Muslims and Catholics – lined up outside the center’s doors wearing white shirts and name tags that read, “Friend.” Supporters, who outnumbered their counterparts at least 3-to-1, said they believe critics are being closed-minded and do not reflect the majority of the community. Ernie White, a Tea Party organizer in Temecula, was one of the mosque protesters to speak out Friday. “People have a right to feel safe in the community, yet here we go building a mosque,” White said. “This is America!” Mosque critic Zorina Bennett of Temecula turned out to protest with her dog. “We need to make a stand. Those people don’t fit in here,” she said. “They don’t like Christians. They are terrorists.” Temecula Mayor Jeff Comerchero said previously that officials have received concerns from some in the community about the mosque’s construction. He said increased traffic on Nicolas Road has been cited as a primary concern among critics. During July 27th Temecula City Council meeting, Comerchero announced that an Aug. 18 planning commission meeting regarding mosque construction was being pushed back for later this year in order that a traffic study be conducted first. (Southwest Riverside News Network)
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