Troy Violated Federal Law In Denying Muslim Group A Mosque: Judge

TROY, MI — A federal judge determined Friday the City of Troy defied a federal law when city officials denied a Muslim group a zoning ordinance to convert commercial space into a mosque.

The city was sued in September 2019 by the U.S. Government after federal officials said the Oakland County community violated the Religious Land Use and Institutionalized Persons Act of 2000 by denying Adam Community Center to operate a place of worship.

Adam Community Center is an organization of Muslims who live and work in Troy. The group bought retail space in one of the city's commercial districts to use as a community center and place of worship. The religious facility would become the only permanent place of Islamic worship in the city.

The city's zoning ordinance doesn't require further approval from city officials to operate any retail space for a nonreligious gathering, such as banquets or theaters. But because of the city's unique zoning restrictions to places of worship, the group had to seek further approval, which was denied by city's zoning board.

City officials rebuffed any wrongdoing or discrimination in refusing the religious group's request to establish a mosque in the city. Moreover, officials argued the group failed to "demonstrate entitlement to the variances in accordance with the standards set forth in the City’s zoning ordinance."

However, U.S. District Judge Nancy Edmunds in Detroit was not persuaded by that argument and said the city improperly forced a strict interpretation of its zoning rules, in part because other places of worship in city don't follow the city's guidelines.

"Troy had granted variance requests for places of worship in the past and at least 35 places of worship in the City do not adhere to the current place of worship standards," Edmunds said in her ruling the Detroit Free Press reported.

The decision appears to clear the way for the Muslim group to operate their place of worship. However, Troy Mayor Ethan Baker said the city may appeal the decision since officials believe there were errors leading to the adverse decision.

Baker also reiterated the city has never been opposed to having a mosque or any other place of worship in the City of Troy. He also said the city's zoning restrictions are not vague restrictions designed to exclude places of worship, but "instead are designed to protect the safety of the general public, and very similar regulations are imposed on all users of property in the City."