U.S. DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE SUES TO ENSURE "RELIGIOUS FREEDOM"

At least that's what they say.  The U. S. Department of Justice, the renowned guardians of religious freedom, have filed a lawsuit against Rutherford County, Tennessee in an attempt to force them to issue an occupancy permit for a huge 53,000 square foot mosque recently built there despite a court ordering otherwise.  The U. S. DOJ wants it issued before the start of Ramadan which is either today or tomorrow, depending on which Muslim cleric you listen to.


Let's start with a little background information.


The man behind its construction, Essam Fathy, told a whole series of lies about how long construction would take.  He claimed years, seemingly to garner sympathy to realize a dream, and that just getting the site leveled and the parking lot paved would take one or two years alone.  Instead, construction was very rapid.

In an ABC news ARTICLE from two years ago, Imam Ossama Bahloul said in response to community opposition, "It's not a huge mosque as they are saying."  Apparently, he didn't consider 53,000 square feet huge.

There was a most definite conflict of interest in that Fathy had financial dealings with the Mayor of Murfreesboro, the county seat of Rutherford County.  The Mayor told the county commissioners they had to they had to vote "yes" on the proposed mosque construction or they would all get sued (SOURCE 1).

A stop work order was issued by a court stating construction work had to cease because the county had failed to give the public adequate notice of the plans.  With their usual contempt for American law and American authorities, construction was ramped up to a very rapid rate.  Did any of the authorities do anything to enforce the court's order? No, of course not. Same thing happened in Brooklyn, New York when a mega-mosque was built on a quiet  residential street.  Court order to stop meant continue with construction.  When it comes to the Muslims, it's the old unwritten "do not oppose" policy once again.

Now, a former FBI agent, John Guandolo, whose job was to brief the FBI on terrorism and radical Islamic terrorism provides this information:

"- the Murfreesboro Imam is a recognized leader and "jurist" in the Muslim Brotherhood worldwide. He taught "Dawah" in Europe, and was at the top of his class at Al Azhar University, Cairo (4 out of 200) – the most prestigious and authoritative school of Islamic Jurisprudence in the world, and the oldest.

-  The ICM Bylaws asserting primacy of Islamic law were copied from other "Islamic Centers." Muslim Brotherhood Bylaws and the El Barasse Explanatory Memorandum define “Islamic Centers” or mosques as beehives for activities and supplies for "battalions," and at some point the beginning and center of violence.

-  The ICM "reading list" of the Imam began with Yousef Qaradawi, who issued a "fatwah" calling for killing of U.S. troops and civilians in Iraq.

-  The Islamic Center of Murfreesboro is a "front" organization for the Muslim Brotherhood posing a security threat to Murfreesboro citizens, who are under- educated on the topic of the threat. Both they and the County Commission should have been informed of this threat to enable public participation in the ICM site plan approval meeting."

(SOURCE 2)

There is also the question of who exactly is financing the building of this mosque or why the small town of Murfreesboro, Tennessee was chosen for the site.  There are only 200-300 Muslim families in the area, and only forty-five active paying members of the mosque, the Islamic Center of Murfreesboro.  No one seems to know from where the money is coming, nor does anyone know why an area with such a small Islamic constituency was chosen.(SOURCE 3)  You can be it is symbolic in some way.  Mosques are built on carefully chosen sites as a general rule to assert Islamic supremacy.  This particular mosque is built right next door to a Baptist church.

  

Back to the U. S. Department of Justice's lawsuit.  Despite the imam being tied to the MUSLIM BROTHERHOOD, and other serious questions about the ICM, a department memo was quoted as saying the allegations accusing the ICM being connected to a terrorist organization are "unfounded."  Really.  The Muslim Brotherhood is not a terrorist organization.  OK.  Glad we were able to clear that up. (SOURCE 4)


Statements from the U.S. DOJ get even more ludicrous. Assistant Attorney General Thomas E. Perez of their Civil Rights Division said, "Our nation was founded on bedrock principles of religious liberty.  The Department of Justice will continue to vigorously enforce civil rights laws that protect religious freedom.  The U. S. attorney for the Middle District of Tennessee, Jerry Martin, said, "The United States Attorney's Office will zealously protect every citizen's right to worship and assemble." "  If that's the case Mr. Perez and Mr. Martin, why didn't the U.S. Department of Justice rush to Phoenix, Arizona and file a lawsuit against the city where Michael Salman was prosecuted, convicted, sentenced to sixty days in jail, two years probation, and a $12,000 fine for a having a Bible study on his own property?


Mr. Martin and Mr. Perez apparently don't understand their own doctrine of the mythical separation of church and state.  No matter how it's justified, no matter how you look at it, the U.S. Department of Justice has filed a lawsuit on behalf of a religious organization.  Just where is the hue and cry of the liberal left wingnuts screaming about "separation of church and state?  Where is the Freedom from Religion Foundation and the ACLU?"  


One last thought:  If this were a Christian church, does anyone really so delusional to believe the U. S. Department of Justice would have raced in to file a lawsuit to force a local government to permit occupancy of the building in time for a religious observance or holiday?  Not a chance.