Even an Ex-Mayor Can’t Build a Mosque in This Town
I’ve been following this one since for a while now. So he’s:
- Lived in the town for 40 years
- Served as mayor
- Served on town council
- Served on Board of Education
- A flag pin-wearing Republican
But that’s STILL not good enough!!11!
Can’t win for losing. *SIGH*
The person spearheading the mosque, M. Ali Chaudry, is not only known by the community, but well liked. After all, he served as mayor of the town in 2004. And before that Chaudry, who has lived in Bernards Township since 1976, was elected to the town council twice as well as its Board of Education. Add to that Chaudry is a Republican in a GOP controlled town.
Yet despite Chaudry being a fixture in this town of approximately 25,000 people located 45 minutes from Manhattan, this past December the Bernards Township Planning Board denied his application to build a mosque so he and the other Muslims in the community could have a place to pray. And this was after dragging out the process for over four years, requiring 39 public hearings, and demanding changes to the proposed mosque never before asked of any other proposed house of worship.
“Having lived in town for nearly 40 years and having served on the Board of Education and as mayor, I was shocked at the denial,” Chaudry explained to me. The added irony is that the Chaudry once served on the very planning board that rejected the application, citing a “lack of details” over issues such as parking and traffic safety. Chaudry vehemently denies these claims. […]
Also See:
NJ Town Sued After 4-Year Campaign To Prevent Mosque From Being BuiltProposed mosque in Liberty Corner may get a second chance
