Murfreesboro Mosque Opponents Ask Judge to Stop Construction

A group opposed to a new mosque in Rutherford County has filed for an injunction to halt construction at the site.

Last week, Chancellor Robert Corlew ruled that the Islamic Center of Murfreesboro was approved at a planning commission meeting without adequate public notice. He did not order that construction be stopped, but attorney Joe Brandon says it should.

He represents opponents of the mosque, who have focused their legal challenge on how the project was approved. However, Brandon has also aired a number of conspiracy theories, accusing the Islamic Center of having ties with terrorists and promoting Sharia law.

“They know they don’t have a valid building permit, and yet they continue to thumb their nose at the laws of Tennessee and continue to build. That’s Sharia law, and we have a problem with that.”

Mosque leaders say they just want a place for all of their congregants to gather. They hope to finish the first phase of construction before the Muslim holy month of Ramadan, which begins in mid-July.