Posted on 06/02/2007 7:56:42 PM PDT by Baladas
POMPANO BEACH – A man who filed a lawsuit seeking to prevent an Islamic center from building a mosque near his home said the center’s representatives told him the city would take land he owns near the proposed mosque if he did not sell it. “The attorneys representing the Islamic Centers of South Florida sent my family a letter offering to buy land we own next to their proposed site,” Rodney L. Wright, 42, the plaintiff in the lawsuit, said in an exclusive interview with the Broward Times. “They threatened that the city would use eminent domain to take it from us if we didn’t accept their offers.’’
Nearly a month has passed since Wright filed a lawsuit seeking to stop the construction of the proposed Islamic Mosque at 1501 NW 16th Ave., which is near his neighborhood.
Since the May 2, filing, Wright has turned down interview requests from all of the major TV networks, including CNN, ABC, Fox News, MSNBC and local media outlets. But he agreed to tell his story to the Broward Times.
“They’ve been calling and leaving their business cards in my door,” said Wright, a soft- spoken man who lives with his family in the middle-class Pompano Springs neighborhood. “But I have no interest in publicity or getting attention. I’m simply concerned about my community.”
A city spokeswoman said that so far, nothing has been built on the land where the mosque is proposed to be built.
“The land where the mosque is being proposed is the Farnander/Wright Subdivision Plat which is and has been vacant,” city spokeswoman Sandra King said. “There are no structures on that land.”
Hassan Sabri, the imam of the Islamic Center, could not be reached for comment and did not respond to repeated calls and messages left on the center’s answering machine.
Altaf Ali, executive director of the Florida Chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations, said he was disappointed about the lawsuit, and called it frivolous. “Our attorneys are working on responding to the complaint.”
Wright’s lawsuit names three organizations; The Islamic Centers of South Florida, CAIR and its Florida subsidiary, CAIR Florida Inc. CAIR is a non-profit Islamic advocacy group whose mission is to promote the understanding of Islam, its website states.
The Islamic Center intends to build a 29,400-square-foot worship center, daycare and recreation facility in the northwest Pompano Beach neighborhood just blocks away from Wright’s home.
In 2006, city leaders granted the mosque a “special exception” to the city’s residential zoning laws, clearing the way for the project to be built.
Residents of the predominantly black area believed the land would be used for affordable housing, as it was zoned. A certified notice sent to property owners in that area threatened seizure of their land to build affordable housing if a negotiated sale price could not be reached.
“This letter is being delivered, pursuant to Florida Statutes, to notify you that the Pompano Beach Community Redevelopment Agency (CRA) intends to acquire through negotiated conveyance or its power of eminent domain, property that is owned by you,” the pre-lawsuit notice sent by attorney Mitchell J. Burstein reads. “The CRA has determined that acquisition of fee simple title to the entire parcel is necessary to assemble a sufficient area for development of affordable housing.”
Burnstein is a lawyer with the Weiss, Serota, Helfman law firm, which specializes in eminent domain, a process that allows a government to buy property without the owner’s permission.
Burnstein did not return calls or respond to emails seeking comment.
Pompano Beach City Commissioner E. Pat Larkins said the city contracted with the law firm to handle land acquisitions in the area.
“It is my understanding that these are standard form letters, notwithstanding the amount that can be offered to any individual property,” Larkins said. “I suppose there is a possibility those lots could be sold to anyone, including the developers of the mosque, but I’m more concerned that it was rezoned for residential homes, but now a mosque will be built there.’’
The new mosque would replace an existing one in northeast Pompano Beach that no longer suits the needs of the Islamic organization and its ever-increasing membership.
There was a series of public meetings in 2005 and 2006, but few residents were aware of them, and subsequently missed the opportunity to provide input on the mosque’s construction. At the final meeting in June 2006, city officials did not allow public input because residents did not have certified transcripts of the previous meetings. Wright, on the other hand, did attend those meetings, where he unsuccessfully opposed the mosque’s construction. Wright’s family had planned to construct a multi-family townhome or duplex on the lot, which abuts the property where the mosque is slated to be constructed.
Wright said he was told the mosque wanted the lots to accommodate more parking at the facility.
“If the center is built, our land or any of the other lots next to it, would not be suitable for residential units,” he said.
Wright is vice president of the Pompano Springs Homeowners Association, which is neither a party to nor has taken any official position on the mosque.
But Wright said he is concerned that the center may bring an extremist form of Islam into the area.
The complaint contends that the center’s intentions are to spread “radical” Islam and that it was granted the zoning exception improperly.
Wright said he hopes a judge will issue a temporary injunction declaring it a nuisance, which would delay or halt the construction.
Documents on file in Pompano Beach city hall confirm the area had been re-zoned for residential construction.
The city granted the Islamic Centers a special exception to those zoning regulations in 2005, but no permit application was filed within the 180-day time frame as required. That meant the mosque had to seek new approval from the zoning board.
“Yes, for a special exception under the current zoning category, a special exception expires in six months unless a principal building permit is issued,” King, the city spokeswoman, said.
She also said that no one, including Wright, objected during the 2005 process.
Wright said no one objected because residents were not informed of the city’s intention to alter the zoning ordinances.
Wright has the support of the Rev. O’Neal Dozier, pastor of the Worldwide Christian Center, which is also located in the area. Dozier has been a high-profile critic of radical Islam and has referred to it as a “cult” and called it an “evil” religion.
He said in July on a radio program that he opposed the mosque, saying the community could be used as a breeding ground for terrorists. Dozier also led a protest in front of Pompano Beach’s city hall in opposition to the mosque.
Because of his comments about Islam as a cult, Dozier was forced to step down in July from a nine-member Judicial Nominating Commission responsible for nominating judges in Broward.
Then-Gov. Jeb Bush appointed him to the post in 2001 and reappointed him in 2003. Dozier resigned before his term expired. In September, Gov. Charlie Crist, who was then a gubernatorial candidate, directed his staff to remove Dozier from his campaign committees because of Dozier’s stated views on Islam.
Dozier responded to the criticism by reaching out to those he termed as “peace loving Muslims,” but that effort has had mixed reviews.
“Things have not changed with Rev. Dozier,” said Ali, of CAIR, who attended a press conference Dozier called to announce his plan.
Dozier brushed aside Ali’s remarks and reiterated that his focus remains on keeping the mosque from being constructed.
“I’m definitely opposed to this mosque, and while I know a lot of people may not agree with this, I firmly believe they will try to recruit blacks to carry out terrorist acts,” Dozier said.
To bolster his position, Dozier points to a May 5 video released by Osama bin Laden’s second-in-command, Ayman al-Zawahiri.
Much of that hour-long video discussed American black Muslims, Malcolm X and the shame al-Zawahiri believes blacks should feel for supporting the Bush administration and the war on terror.
Some analysts believe those statements signal a new push to recruit blacks to join terrorist al Qaeda organizations. Neither Ali nor representatives of the Islamic Centers of South Florida responded to those allegations.
In the past, Ali and other Muslims have dismissed such claims and said they were only intended to incite people’s emotions. Additionally, there has been no documentation or evidence filed to support accusations that either organization has ties to terror groups, even though there are several references to possible terrorism in Wright’s lawsuit.
Bring Back “We reserve the right to refuse service”
The CAIR office is in Pembrooke Pines, which is not far from there.
btt
Bring back John Wayne, the American spirit and flush the Muzzies out to sea. I am sick and tired of liberals brown-nosing the mideast barbarians. This is going to be the biggest war in history with religion at its core. This makes the 50 year threat of communism look like a tea party.
Who would want THIS in their community: http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1843918/posts
This is muzzie expansionism in America. Do they demolish their
“old” holy places? Hmmmm... The Spaniards knew what had to be done about this once upon a time. Where is our Cid?
Something tells me that the Supreme Court didn't intend this when they made the al-Kelo ruling.
-PJ
Something about this story really smells bogus. The city council had alot to say in this effort...from start to finish. I’m thinking that at least two members were bought off. Now before folks start jumping on me....when I spent my four years in Tucson...you saw this constantly where some real estate barons would pay off a city council person to get things done. I think its the same case here.
If some Free Republic dudes living in Florida don’t have much to do...check out the city council of this town where this guy lives...and look at campaign donations over the past two years. I’m betting that you can smell a hidden story here.
bump
Have a big pig roast on the property. Throw pork bones everywhere.
I pass by an islamic center on Edwards Road in Fort Pierce Florida and every time I do I get the creeps.
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