Justice Department investigating suburb's rejection of mosque

The Justice Department says it has opened a civil rights investigation into St. Anthony's refusal to issue a permit to a group hoping to establish a mosque in the city. City council members said this summer they would prefer a light industrial use of the site. The Council on American Islamic Relations complained to the feds.

Author:
BMTN Staff
Updated:
Mar 8, 2018
Original:
Oct 29, 2012

The Justice Department confirms it has opened a civil rights investigation into the St. Anthony city council's refusal to issue a permit to a group hoping to establish a mosque in the city. The department will look into whether the decision violates a law against local regulations that interfere with religious assembly.

The Council on American-Islamic Relations complained to the U.S. Attorney's office in June when the city council rejected the proposed Islamic Center. Council members said they would prefer a light industrial use for the site.

More recently the group behind the project spent nearly $2 million to purchase part of the building, which is the former headquarters of Medtronic.

Here's Fox 9's coverage of the meeting at which the council rejected the permit request: