Muslims see new opposition to building mosques since 9/11

[PsychoDad]

Muslims see new opposition to building mosques since 9/11 Some battles go beyond not-in-my-backyard issues
By Donna Leinwand
USA TODAY


Some Muslim groups seeking to build mosques to accommodate their growing numbers of followers are encountering vehement opposition in communities across the nation.

In some cases, the conflicts are similar to those that for decades have pitted residents against expansion plans by large churches. Neighbors in communities from New Jersey to Arizona have protested Muslim groups' proposals for mosques by raising classic ''not-in-my-backyard'' arguments that have focused on the sizes of planned buildings, parking, lighting and other factors that can affect property values.

But the debates over mosques in several U.S. cities during the past two years occasionally have led to name-calling and allegations of bigotry -- a reflection of some residents' mistrust of Muslims since the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks by radical Muslims.

After local churches and synagogues joined the Muslim group in denouncing the allegations, some residents raised objections about the parking, traffic and landscaping plans, says the Rev. Melanie Morel Sullivan of the Unitarian Universalist Church in nearby Cherry Hill, N.J. Sullivan's congregation organized a multifaith coalition to help the Muslim group

More here:
http://www.usatoday.com/usatonline/20040309/5987749s.htm