Building of Tennessee mosque put on hold

A Tennessee judge on Tuesday ordered a halt to construction of a mosque that had drawn stiff local opposition since it was approved in 2010.

The Islamic Center of Murfreesboro first drew national attention around the same time that a controversial plan was unveiled to build a Muslim center near Ground Zero in New York City.

In Tennessee, the judge ruled that Rutherford County failed to provide adequate notice before approving the center. A 12,000-square-foot first phase of the 52,960-square-foot project was scheduled for completion by July’s end. Mosque spokesman Saleh Sbenaty said the ruling was disappointing but his group remains committed to winning approval for the center.

Joe Brandon, lawyer for some neighbors, said the Muslims behind the center are not a religious group. “They are a political organization with sharia- compliant rules,” he said. “Sharia and the U.S. Constitution cannot coexist.” — Scott Broden,

The (Murfreesboro) Daily News Journal