U.S. mosque not ready for start of Ramadan
Tennessee
Muslims who won a court battle to occupy their new mosque learned Thursday they won’t be able to begin worshipping there for the start of Ramadan because it needs about two weeks more of construction work.
Still, members of the Islamic Center of Murfreesboro were celebrating their legal victory after being buffeted for two years by a lawsuit in which they had no say.
“I think it was a very good day yesterday, and thank God!” mosque board chairman Essam Fathy said. “It surprised all of us. It was an unexpected joy!”
Construction supervisor David Salimi said a codes inspector visited the site Thursday morning, but that it would take about two more weeks of work to be ready. That includes connecting the water and power.
Mosque opponents sued Rutherford County in September 2010 to stop construction of the new building. Their suit included claims that Islam is not a real religion and that local Muslims wanted to overthrow the U.S. Constitution and replace it with Islamic religious law.
Mosque member Kimberly Abu-Shanab, who was raised as a Christian but converted to Islam many years ago, said the hostility she has seen recently toward her religion had her “dumbfounded.”
“I really had that idea in the back of my mind like they could start rounding people up,” she said. “The ruling about the mosque is just wonderful.”