The government of the United States is suing the town of St. Anthony, Minnesota, a Twin Cities suburb with a population a little over 8,000, to force the town to allow development of an Islamic center in an area reserved for industrial development. It is a minor news story, but one that sheds light on broader legal and cultural trends. The Minneapolis Star Tribune reports:
The federal government on Wednesday sued the small north-metro city of St. Anthony, contending that its City Council violated federal law in 2012 by rejecting a proposed Islamic center. …
“An injustice has been done,” U.S. Attorney Andy Luger said at a news conference in Minneapolis. “I will not stand by while any religious group is subject to unconstitutional treatment that violates federal civil rights laws.”
Actually, DOJ happily stood by when the city previously denied a Christian group the use of the same space. Mr. Luger didn’t mention that in his pretentious announcement.
The lawsuit alleges that the council’s decision to deny the Abu Huraira Islamic Center the right to establish a worship center in the basement of the St. Anthony Business Center violates the Religious Land Use and Institutionalized Persons Act passed by Congress in 2000.
How much more do you need to know?
The rest is at Powerline
How about in Robbinsdale Cooper High School, Twin Cities, Minn?
Douglas McAuthur McCain, who was identified by the White House Tuesday as having been killed in the bloody conflict in Syria, went there.
Troy Kastigar, who was killed fighting with jihadist group in Somalia, this one an al Qaeda affiliate called al-Shabab, also went there.
At the same time.
Sounds like their local Mosque had plenty of ”prayer” space.
Gee.
Wait, no worship in schools or public places for Christians, but sought after Muslim prayer areas. Where is the ACLU fighting for separation of church and state?
Perhaps had the Christian group complained, they would have been represented. One thing is for certain, however: when a Muslim group complains, you had best listen, since few others will blow you up for not paying attention.
Why aren’t the Freedom From Religion rabble rousers not taking a stand? Oh… that blowing up thing.
Regardless, one site zoned industrial not used for industry is a site lost to industry, while, as they state, a place of worship could go anywhere else.
One of the tricky ways Muslims get prayer rooms on campuses and in workplaces it by destroying all the sinks in the bathrooms.
They ”claim” their foot washing is mandatory but that getting their feet up into the sinks is hard on the plumbing and caulking.
Sinks end up hanging at weird angles off the walls.
All of them.
The pressure is for BOTH foot bath sinks set low AND prayer rooms nearby.
Minnesota and Michigan have each had many instances of this tactic.
They buckled every time.
If Eric Holder’s Just-Us Department wins this case, then the right thing would be for the Christian organization that wanted to use the property have first priority over the Muslims.
But as we all know, this is not a case designed to protect any religion save Islam.
@Randy: #2
Very good point. I never thought of that before.
@Nanny G: #4
Where are they putting their feet that they have to wash them so often?
@retire05: #5
I thought the same thing. If I were on the city council, I would be making that point, and demand the city give them the space.
This is precisely what the “Separation Clause” was originally intended to block, the Federal government from establishing places of worship. It was based on the creation of the Church of England by the British monarchy, which is in much detail discussed in the Federalist and Anti-federalist papers. If they are not going to uphold the the Constitution’s original prohibition in creating the “Separation Clause,” than this invalidates all other less clear convolutions of later interpretation the left has used to persecute religious thought.