Roxbury Mosque Project Stalls Amidst Rancor

December 18, 2005

Source: The Boston Globe

http://www.boston.com/news/local/massachusetts/articles/2005/12/18/praised_as_beacon_mosque_project_stalls_amid_rancor/

On December 18, 2005 The Boston Globe reported, "Boston's new Mosque and Cultural Center was meant to be a beacon of tolerance, a symbol of understanding between Muslims and non-Muslims. Instead, the unfinished red-brick shell at Roxbury Crossing has become just the opposite. Conceived before the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11, 2001 and blessed by the city, the mosque has been beset by challenges. A Mission Hill man is suing the city, alleging that the land deal that got the project underway was unfair. Others have accused officials of the Cambridge-based Islamic Society of Boston, which is building the mosque, of sympathizing with Islamic extremists. The accusations have battered the project. Donations have slowed to a trickle and Islamic society officials blame the allegations of extremism, which they have vehemently denied, for deterring benefactors. The funding difficulties have all but halted construction and forced the society to seek bank loans to complete the project, a step they had long hoped to avoid, given Islam's prohibition on charging and paying interest. However, those loans were denied, society officials said... With each month of delay, construction costs have risen, swelling the budget for the project from an original estimate of $22 million to around $24.5 million, and putting the new mosque's first day of prayers further from reach."

See also: Islam, ISBCC, Boston