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South Carolina County Unanimously Rejects Mosque Permit After Residents Protest: ‘Islam Is Not a Religion — It’s a Takeover’
Gateway Pundit ^ | May 16th 2026 | Cassandra MacDonald

Posted on 05/16/2026 1:33:03 PM PDT by Jacquerie

South Carolina’s Lancaster County Council voted unanimously last week to deny a conditional-use permit for a proposed Islamic Mosque and community center in the Indian Land area after angry residents passionately spoke out against it.

The rejection came after more than two hours of intense public testimony in which multiple residents warned that the mosque would import Sharia law and represent an ideological takeover incompatible with American values.

One resident went viral after she declared, “This is not about a place of worship; this is not about religion; Islam is not a religion, it’s a takeover.”

She went on to read a passage from the Quran, which states, “Make war on the infidels living in your neighborhood.”

“I just want to say this is not about a place of worship. This is not about religion. Islam is not a religion; it’s a takeover. And if you’ve done any studies, if you listen to any of the news media, you will find out that that is true,” she added.

Council Chair Brian Carnes repeatedly tried to steer testimony back to land-use and infrastructure issues such as traffic and compatibility with the residential neighborhood, reminding speakers that the proceeding was quasi-judicial and could not consider religious beliefs directly.

Despite this, multiple residents made their cultural and ideological objections explicit.

Wilfredo Rivera, who lives next door, said the applicant never disclosed the mosque plans when purchasing the property.

The applicant, Arafath Mohammad of Waxlan Investments LLC, had purchased the 5-acre residential property in January and sought permission to build or convert it into a roughly 3,000-square-foot mosque and community center.

South Carolina has a long legislative history of resisting Sharia law in state courts. In 2016, the state House passed a bill explicitly banning Sharia from judicial consideration.

(Excerpt) Read more at thegatewaypundit.com ...


TOPICS: Government; News/Current Events; US: South Carolina
KEYWORDS: islam; mosque; muslims; southcarolina

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Our Bill of Rights isn't a suicide pact. Barbarous islam deserves no 1st Amendment protection.
1 posted on 05/16/2026 1:33:03 PM PDT by Jacquerie
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To: Jacquerie

Excellent news! I wish every county in this country would do the same.


2 posted on 05/16/2026 1:37:40 PM PDT by Old Grumpy
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To: Old Grumpy

“”Excellent news!””

Truly - is TX paying attention?


3 posted on 05/16/2026 1:40:26 PM PDT by Thank You Rush
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To: Jacquerie

Islam is a syncretic tribal religion. Hijacking a form from Judaism and some from Catholicism makes it akin to a Chinese Restaurant’s one from column A and one from column B to make something, something. Fasting in the extreme, but very shallow form that is ramadan is imitating Lent, but twisted. Sharia is not in any way, shape or form comparable to Catholic Canon law.

Nothing about Islam is compatible with the Western governments which descended from Greece and Rome.

It is misogynistic. It is filled with febrile dreams of death. It is a set of beliefs that cannot be reformed. It has no place here.


4 posted on 05/16/2026 1:47:02 PM PDT by OpusatFR
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To: OpusatFR
Nothing about Islam is compatible with the Western governments which descended from Greece and Rome.

Islam or at least in its present form is not compatible with civilization period.

They need Reformation so Islam is no longer "Islam".

5 posted on 05/16/2026 1:48:59 PM PDT by MinorityRepublican
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To: Jacquerie

Great news, nice to see Ixlam called out. Next move, this mosque will hire lawyers with with some foreign Muslim money. Mosque will not have to pay jack shiite. The rich foreign Muslims paying<<< this is a category of Jihad according to their unholy books.


6 posted on 05/16/2026 1:52:37 PM PDT by dennisw (Qatarlson the Insufferable blowhard. There is no limit to human stupidity. |||||||||||||||||||||||||)
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To: dennisw

ACLU will get involved.


7 posted on 05/16/2026 1:53:27 PM PDT by Ninaq (Nina)
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To: Jacquerie

FINALLY!!
People with a backbone!!!!
Well done !!!!


8 posted on 05/16/2026 2:00:50 PM PDT by bantam
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To: Jacquerie

Well unless the SCOTUS decides to pick and choose what they will define as a religion the county is violating the mosque’s First Amendment rights. The county needs to show another reason besides objections to Islam for their rejection. It could be lack of parking. No drainage. Incompatible with current zoning. Concerns about noise levels.

However if the mosque submitted their plans and they met all the conditions of the zoning and any special exceptions and variances the county is legally obligated to approve their permit. The county is then acting in a quasi-judicial capacity and their role is simply to make sure laws have been met. This is long established case law.


9 posted on 05/16/2026 2:06:05 PM PDT by lastchance (Cognovit Dominus qui sunt eius.)
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To: Old Grumpy

To Hell with the First Amendment!


10 posted on 05/16/2026 2:06:32 PM PDT by lastchance (Cognovit Dominus qui sunt eius.)
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To: Ninaq

And this time they would be right to do so.


11 posted on 05/16/2026 2:07:03 PM PDT by lastchance (Cognovit Dominus qui sunt eius.)
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To: Jacquerie

Because Islam is an intolerant violent religion a special clause restricting any Constitutional protections for it should be added.

12 posted on 05/16/2026 2:08:37 PM PDT by Nateman (Democrats did not strive for fraud friendly voting merely to continue honest elections.)
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To: Nateman

And what could possibly go wrong with setting that precedent?


13 posted on 05/16/2026 2:11:23 PM PDT by lastchance (Cognovit Dominus qui sunt eius.)
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To: lastchance

Lots of things could go wrong. Islam, however, has infected and ruined too many countries not to take its threat seriously.


14 posted on 05/16/2026 2:16:22 PM PDT by Nateman (Democrats did not strive for fraud friendly voting merely to continue honest elections.)
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To: Jacquerie
All I can say is that the residents opposed to this project are morons.

If you oppose a mosque in your neighborhood, you have to base your opposition on something other than sectarian values. These cases routinely end up with the mosques being built after legal challenges under federal civil rights law — often in unanimous court rulings. And if there is evidence that the same municipal government that rejected a mosque application routinely approved other religious buildings in similar circumstances, the taxpayers of that jurisdiction may end up shelling out a pile of money in civil damages as well.

15 posted on 05/16/2026 2:20:19 PM PDT by Alberta's Child (If I leave here, it’s because I’m tired of arguing with geriatric parrots wearing MAGA hats.)
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To: Old Grumpy

The sooner the better.


16 posted on 05/16/2026 2:21:24 PM PDT by No name given ( Anonymous is who you’ll know me as )
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To: OpusatFR

That’s absolutely true.


17 posted on 05/16/2026 2:22:42 PM PDT by No name given ( Anonymous is who you’ll know me as )
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To: Jacquerie
Islam is a religion and its adherents have First Amendment rights to freely exercise their religion but,

Islam is a form of government and should not be allowed to exercise any of its rules or laws that are contrary to the laws of this Nation.

They are free to leave if they can't separate their religion from their "government".

18 posted on 05/16/2026 2:24:48 PM PDT by kinsman redeemer (The real enemy seeks to devour what is good. )
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To: Nateman

Then the right thing to do is restrict immigration from Islam majority countries. Whether potential entrants want to be here on a temporary or permanent visa. Severe vetting must accompany reviews of any applications that meet any exceptions established. The other thing to do is make association with any organizations or persons that preach violent jihad grounds to revoke naturalization.

But destroying the First Amendment will back fire.


19 posted on 05/16/2026 2:29:07 PM PDT by lastchance (Cognovit Dominus qui sunt eius.)
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To: Alberta's Child

There seem to be quite a few morons on this thread as well.


20 posted on 05/16/2026 2:29:41 PM PDT by lastchance (Cognovit Dominus qui sunt eius.)
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