Muslims open new mosque with hopes for acceptance

MURFREESBORO, Tenn. » Muslims in the Tennessee city of Murfreesboro said Friday they hope the opening of their new mosque after more than two years of controversy will be a new beginning for relations with the community, particularly their opponents.

Islamic Center of Murfreesboro members include immigrants from Iraq, Egypt, Syria and other countries, as well as American converts. Many of them said that before the opposition to their new building, they had always found Murfreesboro to be a welcoming community.

If it were not, the congregation would never have grown to the point where they needed to build a new mosque, they said.

"We are here 30 years, and I never had a problem with the people here," said Safaa Fathy, a member of the mosque’s board of directors. "It only started two years ago."

That’s when the Islamic center received permission to construct a new mosque to replace its overcrowded space in an office park. Since then it has had to deal with public protests, vandalism, arson of a construction vehicle and a bomb threat. Opponents of the proj­ect held a protest rally, then sued the county to stop construction.

Their attorneys claimed in court that Islam was not a real religion deserving First Amendment protections. They also claimed that local Muslims were part of a plot to overthrow the U.S. Constitution and replace it with Islamic law.

They were unable to prove those claims, which were thrown out by the judge, but construction was nearly halted when that judge ruled in May there was not sufficient public notice for the meeting where mosque construction was approved.

Last month a federal judge granted the mosque’s request for an emergency order that would open the building in time for the holy month of Rama­dan, which is still under way.

Matt Miller had just converted to Islam and begun worshipping at the mosque when the controversy erupted. He said all of his friends, whom he describes as "regular American bar-hopping citizens," support the new mosque and are happy for the congregation.

He does sometimes worry that opposition to the mosque could turn violent, but said a friend told him to think about it this way: "If the way you go is praying in the masjid (mosque) during Rama­dan, what better way is there?"

About half of the building is taken up by the large, open worship space. Worshippers sit on the floor, where a decorative carpet pattern divides the space into rectangles about 2 by 4 feet each, showing members where to sit and pray.

During his sermon, Imam Ossama Bahloul told the congregation that sometimes people worried about the opposition they have faced will ask him, "Why us?"

In his answer, he turned the idea that mosque members are victims on its ear.

"Maybe it’s because God knows we are strong enough to deal with this," he told them. "So be proud."