How many muslims live in murfreesboro tn

After our discussion in his office, Dr. Bahloul drove me to the new facility and gave me a tour. Although prominent, the center is not particularly distinctive. It retains an air of inconspicuousness that carries over from the old strip mall. The new center is situated on a busy commuter thoroughfare, but it stands a few hundred meters back from the road, a location that lends it an air of reticence and humility. The most attention-grabbing quality of the building, a police car that idles ominously in an otherwise empty parking lot, has nothing to do with the structure itself.

Bahloul confided. I was prepared to give the new building the usual art historical go-over: Who designed it? From what sources does the architecture draw? How does it operate visually and formally? What characteristics make it distinctive or endow it with a particular style? But Dr.

While enthusiastic, kind, and generous with his time, the Imam seemed intent on proving to me—a non-Muslim, and almost certainly one of scores to whom he has given the same tour—that the primary attribute of the structure was that nothing funny or strange takes place there.

He led me through a series of vestibules, hallways, offices, a kitchen, an area for children to play, a bathroom, a utility closet, and the multi-purpose prayer hall.

His descriptions were as prosaic as the spaces they described. He reassured me, with a joke that he had no doubt told countless times before, that there were no weapons in the utility closet—only janitorial supplies. The kitchen is used to cook food.

An office features a desk and some chairs. Bahloul meticulously enumerated such things. Finally, he took me outside to the dumpster and ended the tour. Even without Dr. Less than a month later, in December , he proposed banning all Muslim immigration. He also said the religion was metastasizing —like cancer.

Some Tennessee lawmakers have spouted similar claims—Tennessee state Sen. Mae Beavers told town hall attendees on Feb. And now, according to a report by the Southern Poverty Law Center, anti-Muslim hate groups have tripled since Ossama Bahoul, the former imam at the Islamic Center of Murfreesboro, said there is a big difference between what the Muslim community in Middle Tennessee went through when the mosque was being built and what is happening now.

Now, he hears the Islamophobia that used to come from the mouths of protesters coming from the government. Some opponents to the Islamic Center, which included recreational facilities as well as a place of worship, have claimed that the center shouldn't be protected under the U.

Constitution's First Amendment and therefore any religious freedom law because they believe Islam isn't a religion. Skip to content Site Navigation The Atlantic.

Popular Latest. The Atlantic Crossword. Sign In Subscribe. This article is from the archive of our partner. The mosque would be built in a primarily residential area. Despite the outrage, county officials said Thursday that the plan will go ahead. They defended their decision by noting that the mosque plan met zoning requirements and it is illegal to reject a project for religious reasons.

Bahloul said he and the center have done their best to dispel rumors that they are tied to terrorists and explain their motivation.

On their website , they assure neighbors that they have no ties to any outside national or international organizations. Click here to return to the 'World News' page.