If you thought Park51, the proposed “9-11 Mosque,” was the only site drawing controversy in 2010 you are mistaken. In Murfreesboro, TN, violence, ignorance and hate has unleashed itself on American Muslims and their efforts to build an Islamic community center.
If you thought Park51, the proposed “9-11 Mosque,” was the only site drawing controversy in 2010 you are mistaken. In Murfreesboro, TN, violence, ignorance and hate has unleashed itself on American Muslims and their efforts to build an Islamic community center.
The Islamic congregation who directed the only Mosque in Murfreesboro managed to pull their money together through fundraising and donations, in order to purchase a 52,000-square-foot plot of land. They even got the approval by the Regional Planning Commission to build their center.
This is where the untold story of Murfreesboro begins. The fear, ignorance and suspicion begin to take hold of this once peaceful community.
Thanks to CNN and their “In America” series, we were able to get an exclusive screening which revealed the untold story of the residents of Murfreesboro, TN.
Sitting down with CNN’s Soledad O’Brien, we asked her what was the biggest surprise she found covering the saga in Murfreesboro, TN?
“The biggest surprise for me is the way in which the conversation would circle around Sharia Law and the first amendment to the Constitution and how they had no idea what they were talking about. And what became clear was that it wasn’t a conversation about the first amendment of Sharia Law, it was about fear,” O’Brien said.
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Sharia Law or Islamic law is a discussion on the duties of Muslims, it addresses personal matters such as sexuality, hygiene, diet, prayer, and fasting. The residents of Mufreesboro believed to some extent that with the building of the community center the Muslims would, sooner or later, enact Sharia Law.
One of the scariest scenes in the documentary happened when the Muslim congregation discovered that construction equipment on the site had been set on fire. While assessing the damage, gunshots could be heard in the background as they were filming.
That scene encapsulated the entire film. It showed the hate, fear and anger that the Muslims of Murfreesboro were going through. It revealed the plight of Muslims living in a post 9/11 America. Freedom of religion doesn’t mean freedom of suspicion.
