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Brooklynites Protest Mosque Over Fears Of Traffic, Noise, Islam
By
Ben Muessig
Published Jan 8, 2010
Modified Jan 8, 2010
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By
Ben Muessig
Published Jan 8, 2010
Modified Jan 8, 2010
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Sheepshead Bay residents are rallying against a Brooklyn man's plan to build a mosque because it might bring more traffic and noise to a residential street, and ... well ... because it's a mosque. "There's a safety issue here. I don't want my kids walking past it," Kathy Cash, 38, told the Daily News. "It's disgusting, they [Muslims] have no respect."
In a letter sent to local elected officials, opponents of the Islamic cultural center claim the project shouldn't be allowed because "mosques and Muslim schools preach hatred." Neighbors like Victor Benari claim the prayer hall — which will also feature a community center — will be a "security issue." He added: "My children are scared and I am too."
For what it's worth, the man behind the project, 60-year-old Allowey Ahmed, doesn't sound particularly scary. "It saddens us very much to see our neighbors already agitated about these things," he said. "Our neighbors are very important. We cannot be good Muslims unless we have good relations with our neighbors." As such, the Yemen native has promised that unlike most mosques, his religious facility won't broadcast the call to prayer five times per day. "We are keen to not disturb the neighbors," said the Sheepshead Bay resident, who — through no fault of his own — already did.
Tagged
Allowey Ahmed
islam
islamic cultural center
islamophobia
mosque
muslim
sheepshead bay
Ben Muessig
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