Uneasy Feelings Moving In [Islamic Center]
Washington Post ^ | October 23, 2007 | Philip Rucker
washingtonpost.com
Muslim Sect's Proposal for Extensive Center Unsettles Small Frederick County Town...Nestled near the foothills of the Appalachian Mountains on the rural outskirts of Frederick, and many of them are praying that this hamlet of 5,500 will be able to stop a proposed development.
A Silver Spring-based Muslim sect has proposed buying the town's largest farm to build a retreat and Islamic worship center that would host up to 10,000 people annually for a national religious convention.
Under the proposal, the 224-acre farm's colonial-era house...would be converted into living space for an imam and other clergy from the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community USA. The main prayer and recreation center would be topped with a 65-foot spire...
Public outcry has been so intense that some town officials are maneuvering to adopt zoning law amendments that could block the project. The town's planning commission will vote tonight on an ordinance to prohibit building places of worship and private clubs on land zoned for agriculture. On Nov. 1, the town's board of appeals will hold a final public hearing and could vote whether to allow the Ahmadiyya community to build its retreat on the property, which is zoned for agriculture....
For their part, the Ahmadiyya community has launched an aggressive public relations campaign...
Legally, the town's hands are tied. Making land-use decisions on religious or racial grounds is unconstitutional, and the town can deny the sect's proposal only if there are legitimate concerns about traffic, infrastructure or planning.
Intisar Abbasi, said he hopes his fellow Muslims will become a part of Walkersville. "I love the community, and the people are wonderful," Abbasi said. "I'm not surprised there are people who are angry, but, you know, that's part of the process."...
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