McKinney city leaders vote 7-0 to approve controversial mosque development
McKinney approves mosque plans despite criticism
The McKinney City Council unanimously approved plans for a new mosque after hours of passionate public comment. Some cited traffic or parking issues. Most just didn't want a Muslim place of worship in their neighborhood.
McKINNEY, Texas - The McKinney City Council late Tuesday night unanimously approved plans for a new mosque, ending years of community debate over the development.
McKinney approves new mosque
What we know:
The McKinney Islamic Association has been a part of the community since the 1990s.
After an early proposal was denied two years ago, leaders redesigned the project before bringing it back for approval.
The site was already zoned for a place of workshop and the plans did not ask for any exemptions from city rules. City staff also noted that it was fully compliant with established city requirements.
The council voted unanimously to approve it following hours of public comment from dozens of residents who lined up to speak both for and against the project.
McKinney City Council approves new mosque plans after hours of public comment
After hours of public comments and years of community pushback, the McKinney City Council voted to approve site plans for a new mosque along Virginia Parkway.
What they're saying:
Some opponents raised concerns over potential traffic congestion in the surrounding neighborhood and parking. Others expressed more extremist views about whether Muslims should be allowed to worship there at all.
"My issue with this mosque is not it being a place of worship, it is that it may become a base where young men and women will be taught to overthrow this great nation," said Kate Halsey. "I ask you, where does Islamic faith end and Islamic jihadism begin?"
"When the founders spoke of religious liberty, they were speaking primarily of freedom within Christian worship," another resident said.
"It simply does not make sense to place a large institutional center of that ideology in the middle of a residence that already struggles with traffic, especially when the community is built around churches and Christian households," yet another speaker said.
The other side:
The hostility continued with many people booing as those in favor of the mosque spoke.
"Our mosque will be a place of peace. We respectfully ask your approval tonight," a member of the McKinney Islamic Association said.
Supporters argued that opposition was rooted in fear and anti-Muslim sentiment.
Even former McKinney Mayor George Fuller was booed during the public session when he reminded the crowd that the association has been an established part of the community for nearly 30 years.
Fuller told FOX 4 he walked into city hall on Tuesday night expecting a debate. What he heard instead left him disappointed in the community he led for eight years.
"What we saw, of course, was about 800 people show up, and many of them speaking not against the site plan or, or any of that, just against the Muslim community in general. So we saw a lot of vitriol, a lot of, a lot of fear, a lot of anger, a lot of hate, a lot of just I'll leave it at that," he said.
Fuller said the confrontation also became physical.
"Oh, it was aggressive. I was, you know, you could, I guess technically, call it assaulted. A woman came up to me and pushed a piece of paper into my chest, started pulling at my shirt and trying to push it down my shirt, for whatever reason that may have been. Certainly, people were yelling things at me and cursing me and calling me a traitor and whatnot," he said.
Fuller also reminded everyone that the people who are the targets of Islamophobia are also neighbors, doctors, and public servants.
"I don't care who it was and what they may have spewed in hatred. If they found themselves at the hands of a doctor, one of those doctors, they would be treated the same way I would be treated. They'd be treated with care and compassion, because they actually do view us as their neighbors. They view themselves as part of this community, and although they were certainly not treated that way last night by many, I believe that is what they believe," he said.
What's next:
While the project is moving forward, there are still some approval steps in the process for things like building permits.
The new facility will be constructed at the corner of Virginia Parkway and Crutcher Crossing, roughly three miles from the association's current mosque. The current mosque will stay open while the new campus is being built.
The approved plans for the new campus include a sanctuary, a classroom facility, and a gymnasium.
Leadership noted the expansion is necessary to accommodate a growing congregation that has outgrown its present building.
The Source: Information in this article is from the McKinney City Council meeting, an interview with former McKinney Mayor George Fuller, and previous coverage.