Source: East Valley Tribune

http://evtribune.com/index.php?sty=15285

On January 10, 2004 the East Valley Tribune ran a feature article on Christian-Muslim relations in the East Valley area after 9/11: "Though polarization followed [9/11] and some grew wary of Muslims, some Americans — especially the faith community — rallied around Islamic communities to confront hatred. Many set about trying to better understand Islam...The Rev. David Hodgson, pastor of the Congregational Church of the Valley in Scottsdale, found himself wanting to come to the defense of Muslims in that time two years ago. 'I got involved after Sept. 11 with the Muslims in my neighborhood,' he said. 'They had applied for permission to build a mosque before Sept. 11, and after Sept. 11, they were turned down for rather ridiculous reasons like architecture of the mosque or that it doesn’t belong in a desert climate — silly things like that.'