NASHVILLE, Tenn. — Federal attorneys on Monday jumped into a court battle over the construction of a Tennessee mosque by offering legal proof that Islam is a recognized religion entitled to constitutional protection.
U.S. Attorney Jerry E. Martin of Nashville said his office would not sit by while mosque opponents raise questions in court about whether Islam is a recognized religion. Martin said in a statement that to suggest otherwise “is, quite simply, ridiculous.”
Martin’s office filed a brief saying as much in a state lawsuit brought by mosque opponents against Rutherford County for granting permission for construction of the building.
Mosque opponents are challenging whether the county acted properly in granting the construction permit. Their complaint claims that the county failed to determine whether the Islamic Center of Murfreesboro is entitled to protection under the First Amendment.
Martin said his office felt the need to weigh in on issues raised during three days of testimony in Rutherford County Chancery Court.
“Plaintiffs’ implication that Islam is not a recognized religion by the United States is wrong and is not supported by any authority whatsoever,” he said. “The right to assemble and worship as you please was literally the genesis of this country.”
Martin also noted that Congress enacted the Religious Land Use and Institutionalized Persons Act in 2000, which specifically forbids local governments from using land regulations to unfairly prevent people from building churches, synagogues, mosques or other places of worship.
