Islamic Society has filed a federal lawsuit.
AB Wire
Bernards Township, New Jersey authorities are being investigated by the US Justice Department for denying a Muslim community’s application to build a mosque in the township.
The civil rights investigation will look into whether the township violated the rights of members of the Islamic Society of Basking Ridge over its prolonged, and ultimately failed, application to build a mosque on Church Street, according to the U.S. Attorney’s office, reported NJ.com.
The Islamic society and its president, Mohammad Ali Chaudry, last week filed a federal lawsuit against the township and 15 members of the Township Committee and the Planning Board, charging that they manufactured reasons to deny the application — even changing the zoning ordinance to make building new houses of worship difficult, if not impossible.
Among other things, the lawsuit called for appointment of a monitor to oversee compliance with all federal laws in all committee and planning board decisions for five years. A lawyer for the society, Adeel A. Mangi, said he would not comment on the investigation.
Mayor Carol Bianchi issued a statement saying that the township will cooperate with investigators from the justice department and the U.S. Attorney’s office, according to the NJ.com report.
The suit was filed about three months after township planners unanimously rejected the proposal to build the mosque, which was the subject of 39 public hearings over a four-year period.
The lawsuit says the society spent more than $450,000 on the proposal.