(WASHINGTON D.C., 1/4/2022) – The Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR), the nation’s largest Muslim civil rights and advocacy organization, today welcomed a federal court order to officials of Horn Lake, Miss., to approve the construction of the Abraham House of God mosque.
Last year, members of the Muslim community filed a federal lawsuit against the city of Horn Lake alleging that city officials engaged in religious discrimination by denying permission to build a mosque.
Last night, the United States District Court for the Northern District of Mississippi issued a consent decree allowing local unions and the law firm representing the mosque to resolve the lawsuit. In its decree, the court ordered the city of Horn Lake to approve the construction of the mosque and pay for expenses accrued while permission was denied.
SEE: Horn Lake court-ordered to approve plans for local mosque in anti-Muslim bias lawsuit
In a statement, CAIR Government Affairs Director Robert McCaw said:
“We welcome the U.S. District Court’s decision to order the approval of plans to build a mosque in Horn Lake. By denying permission to the mosque, city officials violated the Religious Land Use and Institutionalized Persons Act and the Free Exercise Clause of the First Amendment. All Americans are entitled to practice their faith freely and without restriction. No local or state government has the authority to unjustly deny citizens the right to build houses of worship.”
McCaw noted that last May, CAIR called on the mayor of Horn Lake and the city’s Board of Aldermen to reverse their unconstitutional denial of the site plan for the Abraham House of God.
SEE: CAIR Calls on Mississippi City to Comply with Federal Law, Approve Mosque Site Plan
CAIR’s mission is to protect civil rights, enhance understanding of Islam, promote justice, and empower American Muslims.
La misión de CAIR es proteger las libertades civiles, mejorar la comprensión del Islam, promover la justicia, y empoderar a los musulmanes en los Estados Unidos.
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CONTACT: CAIR National Deputy Director Edward Ahmed Mitchell, 404-285-9530, e-Mitchell@cair.com; CAIR Government Affairs Director Robert McCaw, 202-742-6448, rmccaw@cair.com; CAIR National Communications Director Ibrahim Hooper, 202-744-7726, ihooper@cair.com; CAIR National Communications Coordinator Ismail Allison, 202-770-6280, iallison@cair.com