[Home]  [Headlines]  [Latest Articles]  [Latest Comments]  [Post]  [Sign-in]  [Mail]  [Setup]  [Help] 

Status: Not Logged In; Sign In

Arctic Sea Ice Soars to Highest Level for 21 Years

Tucker Carlson Reveals He Was Clawed By a Demon While Sleeping, Even Started to Bleed

Top Kamala Harris Surrogate Mark Cuban Faces Intense Backlash From #WomenForTrump

Kamala Harris Is Insane & Cannot Be Trusted

Israel-Hezbollah Ceasefire Possible Within 'Days': Lebanese PM

‘We were totally betrayed’ – 500 migrants for tiny German village of 600 will nearly double population

Hezbollah tactics, weapons stall Israeli advance

President Kennedy's Final Address to the United Nations General Assembly

RFK Jr. Explains Plan For Reforming The CIA

Harris Campaign Recruits Foreign Volunteers, Tells Noncitizens How To Skirt Donation Rules

Lame Yuck! With Nothing To Lose, Biden Goes On Baby-Mouthing Spree At White House Halloween Party

The Fastest Way To Reverse A Fatty Liver Naturally | Dr. William Li

CIA Advisor Warns: This is the beginning of the 2025 Civil War

When Evil Is Allowed In, Evil Stays

US layoffs rose 42% in three years, reaching 1.83M in September.

Iran Will Carry Out 'Definitive, Painful' Retaliatory Strike, Likely Before Election: CNN

How 2024 Election Will Lead To Second Civil War

Tulsi Gabbard Drops a Killer Trump Ad

Israel Genocide Tracker Account Sparks 'Panic' Among Israeli Soldiers

Battleground Voting Shift: Hispanic Voters Now Driven by Issues, Not Party Lines

North Carolina Appeals Court Rules to Allow Voters Who have Never Lived in the U.S. To Vote in State Elections

The 5 Tiers of Stolen Elections (Dems already did 1 & 2)

A Palestinian Family Goes to Pick Up Olives. It Ends in an Execution by Israeli Soldiers

Israel Suffers A Multimillion Dollar Economic SUCKER PUNCH!

The Babylon Bee Endorses Communist Harris

Nosy NY Times Journos Uncover Elon Musk's Secret Luxury Compound In Austin

A 20% surge in gov't spending inflates the national debt, inflation, and interest rates, now reaching 10% of GDP

MI EARLY VOTE SHOCKER! An Excess of 125,428 Votes Cast!

DMSO is the ivermectin for strokes and neurological damage

The Curious Case Of Ariane Tabatabai


Religion
See other Religion Articles

Title: Fire at Tenn. Mosque Building Site Ruled Arson
Source: CBS News
URL Source: http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2010/08/28/national/main6814690.shtml
Published: Aug 29, 2010
Author: staff
Post Date: 2010-08-29 18:35:52 by Ferret
Keywords: None
Views: 475
Comments: 23

Construction Equipment at Site of Planned Islamic Center Torched; Vocal Protests Against Mosque Have Been Ongoing


Protesters, left, and counterprotesters shout at each other during a July 14 demonstration about a planned mosque and Islamic center, in front of the Rutherford County Courthouse in Murfreesboro, Tenn. Overnight a suspicious fire was started at the mosque's construction site. (AP Photo/Christopher Berkey)

Federal officials are investigating a fire that started overnight at the site of a new Islamic center in a Nashville suburb.

Ben Goodwin of the Rutherford County Sheriff's Department confirmed to CBS Affiliate WTVF that the fire, which burned construction equipment at the future site of the Islamic Center of Murfreesboro, is being ruled as arson.

Special Agent Andy Anderson of the federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives told CBS News that the fire destroyed one piece of construction equipment and damaged three others. Gas was poured over the equipment to start the fire, Anderson said.

The ATF, FBI and Rutherford County Sheriff's Office are conducting a joint investigation into the fire, Anderson said.

WTVF reports firefighters were alerted by a passerby who saw flames at the site. One large earth hauler was set on fire before the suspect or suspects left the scene.

The chair of the center's planning committee, Essim Fathy, said he drove to the site at around 5:30 a.m. Saturday morning after he was contacted by the sheriff's department.

"Our people and community are so worried of what else can happen," said Fathy. "They are so scared."

The fire was smoldering by the time Fathy and the center's imam, Ossama Bahloul, had arrived. Fathy was told that responders had smelled gasoline near the fire.

Fathy was later contacted by members of the FBI and the Department of Homeland Security, who told him the incident was under investigation and to remain calm.

Digging had begun at the site, which was planned as a place of worship for the approximately 250 Muslim families in the Murfreesboro area, but no structure had been built yet, according to Saleh Sbenaty, a member of the planning committee and a professor of engineering technology at Middle Tennessee State University.

"This is a shock," said Sbenaty. "We've had small act of vandals. But this is going to be a crime and whoever did it, they should be punished to the full extent of the law."

The center had operated for years out of a small business suite. Planning members said the new building, which was being constructed next to a church, would help accommodate the area's growing Muslim community.

"We unfortunately did not experience hostilities for the 30 years we've been here and have only seen the hostility since approval of the site plan for the new center," said Sbenaty.

Opponents of a new Islamic center say they believe the mosque will be more than a place of prayer; they are afraid the 15-acre site that was once farmland will be turned into a terrorist training ground for Muslim militants bent on overthrowing the U.S. government.

"They are not a religion. They are a political, militaristic group," Bob Shelton, a 76-year-old retiree who lives in the area, told The Associated Press.

Shelton was among several hundred demonstrators who recently wore "Vote for Jesus" T-shirts and carried signs that said "No Sharia law for USA!," referring to the Islamic code of law.

Others took their opposition further, spray painting a sign announcing the "Future site of the Islamic Center of Murfreesboro" and tearing it up.

Earlier this summer opponents criticized the planned mosque at hearings held by the Rutherford County Commission, as supporters held prayer vigils.

At one such prayer vigil, WTVF reported opponents speaking out against construction.

"No mosque in Murfreesboro. I don't want it. I don't want them here," Evy Summers said to WTVF. "Go start their own country overseas somewhere. This is a Christian country. It was based on Christianity." (1 image)

Post Comment   Private Reply   Ignore Thread  


TopPage UpFull ThreadPage DownBottom/Latest

Begin Trace Mode for Comment # 18.

#1. To: Ferret (#0)

"No mosque in Murfreesboro. I don't want it. I don't want them here," Evy Summers said to WTVF. "Go start their own country overseas somewhere. This is a Christian country. It was based on Christianity."

Here's one of the goobers the Reich Wing is stirring up into a frenzy.

Not historically a good thing.

tom007  posted on  2010-08-29   18:46:03 ET  Reply   Untrace   Trace   Private Reply  


#2. To: tom007 (#1)

after living in the south most of my adult life, I can say these people have wonderfull heart and baa with the best of them....no brains...little glory

paddlefeet  posted on  2010-08-29   19:00:50 ET  Reply   Untrace   Trace   Private Reply  


#10. To: paddlefeet (#2)

welcome, paddlefeet. may i ask what southern state you're in?

christine  posted on  2010-08-29   20:41:00 ET  Reply   Untrace   Trace   Private Reply  


#13. To: christine (#10) (Edited)

hello christine i'm currently in the southern state of northern indiana with my lovely wife Lana or octavia as you might know her

paddlefeet  posted on  2010-08-29   21:06:57 ET  Reply   Untrace   Trace   Private Reply  


#14. To: paddlefeet, octavia (#13)

ahhh, yes, the lovely and intelligent octavia. we don't get to see her enough on here though. very happy to have you both. ;)

christine  posted on  2010-08-29   21:09:57 ET  Reply   Untrace   Trace   Private Reply  


#18. To: christine (#14)

where do you live christine, and are you making appropriate moves?

paddlefeet  posted on  2010-08-29   21:19:44 ET  Reply   Untrace   Trace   Private Reply  


Replies to Comment # 18.

        There are no replies to Comment # 18.


End Trace Mode for Comment # 18.

TopPage UpFull ThreadPage DownBottom/Latest


[Home]  [Headlines]  [Latest Articles]  [Latest Comments]  [Post]  [Sign-in]  [Mail]  [Setup]  [Help]