Source: The Associated Press

http://www.newsday.com/news/local/wire/ny-bc-nj--suburbanmosque1105nov05,0,5801947.story

On November 5, 2003 The Associated Press reported on the on-going legal battle by Muslims in Voorhees, New Jersey to obtain a local permit to build a mosque. According to the article, the town zoning board will decide on Thursday whether or not to approve a site plan put forward by the Muslim American Community Association. The mosque plans have recently set off a wave of controversy in the area, and "opponents' tactics have included the anonymous flier sent to many homes in Voorhees in August, just before a zoning board hearing. The one-page tract reads, in part: 'Muslim worshippers who are extremists and radicals can pray side by side with conservative believers. These extremists and radicals could include individuals with connections to terrorists.' ...In Voorhees, a group with members representing the Anti-Defamation League, a Unitarian Universalist congregation and a Roman Catholic church formed to endorse the mosque. 'We felt there were feelings of prejudice creeping in and we were going to act," said Lori Volpe, an organizer of the Coalition for a Multi-Faith Democracy. Volpe said critics of the proposed mosque who are making a mistake. If the mosque is not approved, she said, the land could be used for something much more disruptive-- like an all-night convenience store."