CHICAGO: A proposal to turn an abandoned church into a mosque in the suburbs of Chicago is now facing ‘opposition’ from a few locals.
The Muslim American Society (MAS) had bought the vacant First Church of Christ, Scientists, on 12300 S 80th Avenue in Palos Park, Illinois, hoping to open in the summer.
The MAS officials said that the Muslim community is growing rapidly and another worship place is needed to serve it.
On the hand, anonymous brochures distributed to homes near the proposed Palos Park site warning that mosque in the area would weaken home values and create traffic problems. The flyers were left in mail boxes and in some cases on doorsteps.
The MAS officials said that they only want to utilise a building that already has government approval to be used as a religious centre.
A spokesman for MAS and a vice president of the Bridgeview Mosque Foundation Oussama Jammal while expressing surprise said that we are so involved and engaged in the local community.
He said only one or two people are distributing these brochures as they want to stir things up.
Jammal said, “we have no problem with people expressing their opinions and welcome the opinions. We want to meet with our neighbours, though, and explain who we are and what we want to do. We’re American, just like them.”
He explained that the Muslim community chose the building not only because it was vacant and for sale, but also because it was already “zoned” – government approved – to be used for religious purposes. Religious institutions get special government benefits.
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