The Islamic Society of Tulsa and the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) are set to announce a lawsuit against the City of Broken Arrow over the denial of a rezoning request for a proposed mosque and retail center. The announcement will be made at a press conference at the Islamic Society of Tulsa’s mosque in Tulsa.
Background
The City of Broken Arrow’s planning staff had initially green-lighted the project, and the Broken Arrow Planning Commission voted 3-2 to recommend approval of the rezoning. However, the Broken Arrow City Council voted 4-1 in January to deny the rezoning request, citing concerns about the site’s suitability for the project.
The U.S. Department of Justice has launched an investigation into the city’s zoning and land-use regulations, which CAIR has welcomed under the guidelines of the Religious Land Use and Institutionalized Persons Act (RLUIPA). Oklahoma Attorney General Gentner Drummond has called on President Trump and U.S. Attorney General Todd Blanche to halt the investigation, arguing that land-use decisions belong to state and local officials.
Original reporting: Broken Arrow Sentinel — read the source article.
