Abdul El-Sayed made history this month in Michigan by becoming the first Muslim nominated by the Democratic Party to run for the U.S. Senate. However, his nomination was met with a surge in anti-Muslim sentiment across the nation.

Local Opposition to Mosques

In McKinney, Texas, a large suburb in the Dallas-Fort Worth area, the city council voted unanimously to approve a site plan for the McKinney Islamic Association’s proposed new mosque, despite angry anti-Islam remarks at a heated city council meeting. Former mayor George Fuller urged the council to give the plan fair treatment, but was booed and shouted at by opponents of the mosque project.

In Mooresville, North Carolina, town commissioners held a public comment session on a proposed mosque, where angry residents voiced hostility to Islam and assailed the commissioners for not being more forthcoming about the project. The Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) denounced the hateful and conspiratorial anti-Muslim rhetoric that surfaced at the meeting.

In Broken Arrow, Oklahoma, the Islamic Society is persisting with its quest to build a mosque, despite the city council voting 4-1 to reject a rezoning proposal in January. The society has filed a lawsuit against the mayor and four councilors, alleging that the vote reflected a wave of bigoted opposition from members of the community and local politicians.

Original reporting: Alexandria, VA News – WTOP News — read the source article.