Murfreesboro Mosque Hopes to Break Ground Next Month

Leaders in the effort to build a new mosque in Murfreesboro are hoping to break ground sometime in August, despite some legal hang-ups.

Opponents of the mosque say their legal challenge remains unresolved. Last month attorney Joe Brandon Jr. asked the judge to reconsider dismissing part of the plaintiffs’ claim about Sharia law. Brandon claims the Islamic code is dangerous and not constitutionally protected, and expects a response any day.

Brandon also says his request into thousands of government emails over a lack of public notice about the mosque hasn’t been fully met.

“Whether or not – if there’s a smoking gun, fine. If there’s not a smoking gun, that is fine as well. We simply want to ask questions, we want the government to produce documents, produce evidence, and we want to be able to have our day in court.”

Brandon says while the case drags on, there’s no guarantee on an OK to build the mosque.

And there’s one other hang-up for construction: officials say finding contractors has taken longer than hoped, though they expect to finish the bidding process soon. They say once construction is underway they’ll have security cameras and fencing at the site. Last year vandals damaged some equipment there in what investigators deemed arson.