Hoover City Council Votes to Turn Church into Mosque, with Some Resistance

May 16, 2006

Source: The Birmingham News

http://www.al.com/search/index.ssf?/base/news/1147771286318670.xml?birminghamnews?nmet&coll=2

On May 16, 2006 The Birmingham News reported, "The Hoover City Council voted 6-1 to approve the Birmingham Islamic Society's plans to turn a church into a mosque and family life center during a Monday meeting that at times sounded like a referendum on the religion. The society has a contract to buy a church on Hackberry Lane from Point of Grace Ministries. Plans call for renovations to the existing building for a mosque, and eventually, the construction of a family life center. Residents have opposed the plans, citing traffic concerns, but on Monday, Loyd Brannon criticized Islam, saying it is murdering, kidnapping and enslaving Christians, and it has not made a lot of apology for the 9-11 terrorist attacks. 'Islam has a very bad international reputation at the present time,' he said, adding that the purpose of Islam is to turn the world into an Islamic community. 'We're allowing an organization with a worldwide terrorist reputation to establish a beachhead in this community.' But other residents supported the society's plans, saying the group will be a good neighbor. 'If this were a Baptist or a Methodist church, nobody would object,' said resident Marian Lowry. The majority of residents who opposed the plans said they are concerned about extra traffic on the winding Hackberry Lane, not the religion that would occupy the church. They said they are afraid the mosque may grow into a megachurch that would overwhelm their community. Society officials said they have no plans to expand beyond the existing 6.5-acre site. The move is being driven by a plan to free up space for a school at the organization's Homewood campus, and not an effort to draw all Muslims to Hoover."