Last updated on 2011.12.16
...maybe they'd like to buy the Masonic temple...
Rod Goeman brings to my attention an effort to establish Madison's first mosque (or perhaps more accurately, musalla... but more on that below). No, we're not talking fancy domes and minarets and bejewelled walls to bring glory to Allah. We're talking the rundown rental house at 109 NE 4th Street, right next to the creek.
On October 11, 2011, Tareq Allan appeared before the Madison City Planning Commission seeking permission to open the house he rents with two other Muslim gentlemen as a Muslim worship space. As the minutes (excerpted below) show, Allan intends to lease the main floor from Michael McVey for worship space. McVey would continue to rent out the upstairs as an apartment. The musalla would require eight parking spaces. Given the city zoning ordinance requirement (see 17.35.05 Group C) of one parking space for every four seats in the worship area, it appears Allan is expecting up to 32 worshippers. (But wait: you guys don't have seats in your worship hall! You could get around that ordinance!)
32 Muslims in Madison—that's got to strike fear in the hearts of regressives like Rep. Phil Jensen who think Muslims are spiriting away our daughters.
Adjacent landowner John Goeman expressed no such concerns. But he did drop by the October hearing to express concerns about property taxes, parked cars blocking sidewalks, and fire safety. According to the Lake County property tax database, McVey's property is only generating $815 dollars in property tax. Even if rented worship center status does confer a property tax exemption, half of the building is still being used as a residential rental. The taxes lost would only be half the current amount. If the city is that hard up for $400, it could make that up by rescinding the sales tax kickback on just one Custom Touch house.
The Commission put off making a decision until its November meeting, for which the city appears not have published proceedings yet. The matter has not yet come before the city commission.
Even without formal approval, Mr. Allan is proceeding with organizational matters. On November 9, Allan filed papers with the Secretary of State to incorporate the Islamic Society of Madison. Therein, Allan lists himself and his two roommates, Mifres Alotaibi and Zakariya Syed, as the board of directors. Allan also asserts the purpose of the corporation:
The Purpose of the Islamic Society of Madison shall be to advance the cause of Islam according to the Qur'an and the Sunna (the practice of the prophet Muhammad (P.B.U.H), consisting of what he did, recommending, or approved of in others) and to serve Muslims in Madison and surrounding communities [Articles of Incorporation, Islamic Society of Madison, Article III, 2011.11.09].
Unlike St. John's Lutheran Church, which allows atheists like me to come to their potato suppers and other social activities, the Islamic Society of Madison is an exclusive, Muslims-only outfit:
All the religious, cultural, educational, and social activities of the Islamic Society of Madison shall be open to all Muslims of the area, only the members (one class of members) of the Islamic Society of Madison, who have paid their dues, will have the right to vote, or be elected to any office of the Islamic Society of Madison [Article V].
And as a bonus for Rep. Phil Jensen, Secretary Jason Gant certifies the use of Islamic Law in South Dakota:
The board of directors shall be composed of two board members and one office member. The office member shall be the president of the Islamic Society of Madison.
Decisions of the board of directors shall be made by the president after consulting with other members of the board. Decision of the president will be final unless it is shown that a decision violates Islamic Law according to the Qur'an and Sunna as expressed in Article III [Article VII].
Allan has also apparently gotten the Islamic Society of Madison up on online mosque directories. On those directories, the society is indeed designated a masjid, a mosque.
I have no problem with the formation of a mosque in the heart of Madison. However, just as I do when other religious outfits form and expand in town, I'll be watching for unhealthy signs of fundamentalism, oppression, and just plain wrong thinking. After all, at least one Muslim apostate says that Muslims don't think we atheists have the right to life.
Excerpt, City of Madison Board of Adjustment Proceedings, October 11, 2011
Appeal to the Board of Adjustment #510 &ndash Tareq Allan. Mr. Allan provided the following information relative to this appeal. The subject property at 109 NE 4th Street would be a location for religious worship in a main assembly area of approximately 400 square feet. Prayers are said for five minutes, five times a day. Off-street parking as proposed will be on gravel south of the structure in lieu of a paved surface and may not be installed before the end of the construction season due to lack of availability of contractors. For this size of the main assembly area, eight off-street parking spaces would be required and are proposed for this use. The applicant intends to sign a long-term lease with landowner Michael McVey for the first floor dependent upon the outcome of this appeal. Mr. McVey would still rent out the upstairs as a dwelling. Mr. Allan signed a Certificate of Compliance for signage and provided certified mail documentation of notice to adjacent landowners.
John Goeman requested to speak at the hearing. Mr. & Mrs. Goeman reside directly north of subject property. Mr. Goeman presented many concerns, particularly payment of property taxes, blockage of sidewalks with parking north of the structure and fire safety.
Mr. Comes indicated that building code and related fire safety issues related thereto would be dealt with appropriately in a manner customary to normal non-zoning procedures. Mr. Comes distributed copies of the conditional use portion of the ordinance and specifically pointed out the proposed deviation from the paved parking requirements being proposed. Mr. Jencks provided initial feedback that failure to pay property taxes could be appropriate to consider in determining adverse affect on the public interest but cautioned that it should not be the sole consideration.
After full discussion, Commissioner Bohl made a motion to continue the hearing at the next regularly scheduled Board of Adjustment meeting on November, 8, 2011 at 7:00am to be able to receive additional information, including but not limited to, property taxes and fire safety, second by Commissioner Iversen. Motion carried unanimously.
The applicant was encouraged to speak with the landowner concerning taxes and the Fire Chief concerning fire safety.
I think the issue of property taxes was related to the fact that the owner of the property had not paid property taxes for three years which causes a dramatic deliquency and shortfall to the county, schools, etc.
It is disappointing that you have to be a dues-paying club member to attend one of their worship sessions as it would be interesting to learn something locally about the Nation of Islam and why there is so much international anger toward the rest of us.
McVey is three years delinquent? He needs to get in gear! Send in the sheriff!
Check Article V again, Rod: one need only pay dues to be a voting member. The only condition of attending activities is that one be Muslim. And that article doesn't preclude the corporation from holding interfaith meetings and community conversations like what you suggest. If such an activity would advance the cause of Islam, the board would be all for it.
How can they discriminate about attendance in our country? I'm a Lutheran, yet if I want to attend a Catholic service, I'm welcome. In fact, any church in Madison will accept anyone for their services, regardless of whether they are Christian, Muslim, Buddist, atheist, etc. I'm certainly not interested in "advancing the cause of Islam", but am always curious about other religions and feel they need to allow community members who are not dues-paying Muslims to attend their services.
We took a recent city tour in Chicago, and drove by Nation of Islam leader Louis Farrakhan's home with his numerous armed guards outside the house. That was unnerving considering we are on US soil which embraces religious freedom.
If they want this community to accept their right to gather peacefully, they should open their doors to this community so we all can learn about each other.
I'm not sure, Rod. Does every incorporated group have to allow everyone to attend every one of their activities? Does the LAIC have to allow me to attend its next board meeting? (Please tell me the answer is yes!)
RGoeman - you do realize that there is a HUGE difference between The Nation of Islam and pretty much every mainstream Islamic group in the US (and Saudi Arabia, and pretty much the rest of the world).
Saying you can learn about mainstream Muslims from the Nation of Islam is much like saying you can learn about mainstream Christians from the Westburo Baptist Church.
Now - perhaps this group does have something to do with the Farrakhan’s group...I don't know. But we need to draw a sharp distinct line between the NOI and mainstream Islam.
RGoeman, Have you been to any other countries that the US soils, i don’t think so, if you eve passed by a US embassy, and take a look at it, it looks like a military base, and the article didn’t say non-Muslims can’t be in the worship place. It just explains that it is for Muslims to attend their prayers and activities. the other thing have you talked to these guys and ask (i don’t think so) the other thing you are saying that John Goeman didn’t have such concerns, i think you are no right, if you check with people who were in the meeting, John Goeman, didn’t want that place across from his house and he said that he would like that place to be monitored for any kind of activities so i think the issue with Mr. Goeman wasn’t the tax neither the safety, also i recommend you check your resources because i heard that Mr. Mcvey paid all his dues before the next meeting they had, so the tax is not an issue any more
RGoeman,
Private organizations in the US aren't subject to all of the anti-discrimination laws. I realize this isn't the best example, but it's the same reason that the Boy Scouts of America doesn't have to allow girls (or atheists or agnostics) to participate.
More context: https://madvilletimes.com/2011/10/filipino-christian-cult-buys-south-dakota-town/
Mike, here is perhaps a better example: You have to have a specific problem with alcohol to attend a "closed" AA meeting. Just being a regular old addict won't cut it. It has to be alcohol.