Mosques in America: A Guide to Accountable Permit Hearings and Continuing Citizen Oversight

Any community facing a Conditional Use Permit seeking an Islamic Community Center (i.e., mosque) should read attorney Karen Lugo’s book. While it is not appropriate to read the Koran during city council meetings regarding the CUP, it is vitally important to insist that mosque sponsors fully disclose their operating plans and then stick to agreed operation times and traffic volumes. Too many city councils waffle when dealing with mosque CUP’s because they don’t know their legal rights or because they are intimidated by the overwhelming presence of seasoned mosque advocates. From 2011 to 2015, twenty-five percent of the DOJ Civil Rights Division’s caseload involved complaints over mosques and Islamic schools. That’s lawfare against communities.Ms. Lugo takes readers through the step-by-step process of reviewing and monitoring a CUP. She also includes horror stories of communities that waffled either due to ignorance of the law or indifference to the more compelling community interests -- blight, declining property values, and increased crime. While Muslims have every right to build mosques and worship in peace in America, they also need to be "good neighbors." This book will help community leaders ensure both.

An excellent, concise description and analysis of how Islamic groups across the US are using RLUIPA to further their projects, regardless of compliance with local zoning ordinances. Every municipality dealing with a mosque proposal in their community should use this as a handbook in preparation for the likes of which they have never encountered with other land use applications.

Tells you everything you need to know as soon as you discover a mosque might be built in your neighborhood. Also contains great information on oversight after it is up and running. After you read it you will think of many more people who should get a copy. So save yourself some time and order at least ten!

Most built by our "friend and ally" Saudi Arabia.

A must read

I faced the construction of a mosque in my neighborhood. We, the neighbors, had to learn everything in this book from scratch. Had we had this book and its helpful outline of what to expect in the process we could have saved a lot of time and known what to look out for. The plans and disclosures of the Muslim group intending to construct the mosque were very vague and answers were illusive, exactly as stated in the book. Plans continued to be fluid as questions were raised by the city officials and the public. Threats of discrimination were constantly raised by the applicant. The whole process played out in real life exactly as outlined in this book. If you're faced with this immediate threat to your community it's a must read. If you just want to understand what many in the U.S. are facing it's an accurate account of what happens.

A GREAT book by an intelligent, insightful and a GREAT American who loves our country and wants to keep it safe.