The United States Department of Justice recently opened a civil rights investigation against Bernards Township, New Jersey, authorities for denying permission to a Muslim group that wanted to build a mosque in the area. The investigation is expected to look into whether township authorities really violated the rights of members of Islamic Society of Basking Ridge, whose application to construct a mosque on Church Street was not only prolonged but eventually dismissed. The Department of Justice’s Civil Rights Division is in charge of enforcing federal statutes that prohibit discrimination on grounds of sex, race, colour, religion, ethnicity, disability and family status.
Last month, Mohammad Ali Chaudry, president of the Islamic Society of Basking Ridge, filed his federal lawsuit against Bernards Township and 15 members of the Township Committee and Planning Board, accusing them of having manufactured reasons to dismiss his application and revised the existing zoning ordinance to ensure building new houses of worship in the area is at least a lot more difficult, if not impossible.
Chaudry filed his lawsuit approximately three months after township authorities unanimously rejected his proposal to build a mosque, a subject that withstood 39 public hearings over a four-year period. Reportedly, Islamic Society of Basking Ridge had to spend over $450,000 on its proposal.
Among other things, Chaudry’s lawsuit called for the appointment of a monitor who would oversee compliance with all federal laws in every decision reached by the Township Committee and Planning Board for the next five years.
While the society sought to build its mosque on a 4.3-acre tract in an area that allows houses of worship to be built, authorities cited a lack of details regarding traffic safety, parking and buffer zones bordering the site’s residential areas.
The proposal also faced strong opposition from local residents, with some saying that the mosque could be converted into a safe haven for terrorists. Bernards Township Citizens for Responsible Development opposed the mosque’s proposition on grounds of public safety.
“Planners frequently agreed with one unreasonable and picayune land use objection after another raised by opponents, creating a ‘Kafkaesque’ scenario for what should have been a routine approval,” the lawsuit stated.
In addition to a federal monitor, Islamic Society of Basking Ridge demanded in its lawsuit judicial orders that would overturn the denial of its application, annulment of restrictive sections of the zoning ordinance as well as compensatory damages.
Mayor Carol Bianchi issued a statement, promising that her township would cooperate with investigators from the Department of Justice as well as the United States Attorney’s office.
“I know our Planning Board members and they are honest and ethical,” she said. “I trust they made their decisions based solely on land use considerations.”
Photo Credits: American Bazaar Online
