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Mosque is given go ahead by Orland Park Politicians.

Will there be loudspeakers calling all of us infidadels to prayer?

Daily Southtown
Mosque moves forward

Emotions bubble over at a packed Orland village hall

Thursday, May 27, 2004

By Dan Lavoie
Staff writer

In front of crowd of more than 300 people on the brink of eruption, Orland Park's first mosque cleared its second-to-last hurdle Wednesday night.
After a 3-to-0 vote, it now heads for consideration by the full village board June 21.

The overflow crowd laid their emotions and motivations bare.

About a half-hour into the two-hour meeting, some men in the crowd scuffled after one man screamed "September 11."

Police escorted that man out of the building, though police at the scene said there is no ongoing investigation into the incident.

The exchange was one of the more emotionally charged moments of an emotionally charged night.

Opponents of the mosque, who made up about two-thirds of the crowd, repeatedly said they feared Islamic extremists would bring violence to the community.

"Please do not use our U.S. Constitution and our freedoms against us," protester Arlene Reed said. "Don't tell me to embrace the enemy, bring the asp to my chest, tell me I have to welcome a group here that makes me feel unsafe."

Muslim backers of the mosque said they were disappointed they are not being accepted in the community many of them have called home for years.

"We can work here, pay taxes here, go to school here, shop here, but we cannot pray here," Edward Hassan said. "We are your neighbors, your doctors, your soccer coaches. It truly is a sad day for America and for the Constitution."

Sean Kennedy, 22, said he was disgusted by the community's response to the mosque proposal.

"The stigma I'm worried about is not that some Muslims will come to my community," he said. "I welcome them with open arms. The stigma I'm worried about is that Orland Park will be seen as racist and bigoted. That this (mosque) is an issue is an embarrassment to me as a citizen of Orland Park."

The three village trustees who sit on the planning committee that approved the proposal Wednesday said they were shocked at the tenor of the meeting.

"The undercurrents here are frankly embarrassing and disheartening to me," committee chairman Brad O'Halloran said.

Despite the meeting's heated rhetoric, resident Peg DeWilkins said she had been won over by the mosque backers.

"I came here out of fear," she said. "But as I realize tonight listening to all these people ... it's clear the only thing we have to fear is fear itself. I fear the hatred and evil that gets perpetrated in these situations."

Plans for the 22,000-square-foot Orland Park Prayer Center were approved by the plan commission May 11 despite protests of more than 150 people.

Many of the initial protesters complained about possible traffic problems caused by the mosque, though Cook County's top traffic engineer later dismissed the effect the extra 100 to 150 cars could have during Friday afternoon prayers.

Mosque backers have since conducted a traffic study that supports their contention that the mosque will not put undue strain on local roads.

A property value study paid for by mosque supporters also concluded the value of nearby homes would not be adversely affected.

Dan Lavoie may be reached at dlavoie@dailysouthtown.com or (708) 633-5994.

"Please do not use our U.S. Constitution and our freedoms against us," protester Arlene Reed said. "Don't tell me to embrace the enemy, bring the asp to my chest, tell me I have to welcome a group here that makes me feel unsafe."

The constitution offers no such protection to break noise ordances.

"We can work here, pay taxes here, go to school here, shop here, but we cannot pray here," Edward Hassan said. "We are your neighbors, your doctors, your soccer coaches. It truly is a sad day for America and for the Constitution."

Pray all you want. But don't do it through a loud speaker every day and keep people from sleeping. If you want to do that then go back to the middle east.