Sixteen-year-old Hiba Calsy is the only Muslim student in her grade at Broken Arrow Early College Academy. She just started wearing a hijab last year. So far her classmates have been kind, but in her wider community the hate is on the rise.
What Happened in Broken Arrow?
For years, Calsy and her family have been compelled to make regular hour-long drives back and forth to their nearest mosque just to pray. In 2014, hoping to ease overcrowding at that facility and provide a closer faith home for its congregation, the Islamic Society of Tulsa purchased 15 acres in Broken Arrow, Oklahoma. This past December, planning commissioners for the city (finally) narrowly approved a request to rezone the land for a mosque, medical clinic and retail center. City councilors reversed that decision in January, voting 4 to 1 against the project after a meeting that drew more than a thousand residents. News footage shows folks lining up around the block waiting to attend the heated meeting.
What Do the City's Own Records Show?
Councilors said the decision to retract their approval came down to concerns over traffic and stormwater capacity, in addition to conflicts with a comprehensive plan that didn't yet call for commercial development on that stretch of road. Opposition organizer David Oldham has maintained the fight was always about infrastructure, not faith, and pointed to genuine concerns about a two-lane road that residents say can't handle much more growth.
Emails later obtained by the local outlet Tulsa Flyer paint a much different, much messier picture. One resident sent a message to Mayor Debra Wimpee alleging that violence statistically erupts when Muslim populations in Europe surpass two percent of a country's population, and asked her to help keep the project out of the neighborhood. Wimpee wrote soon after, agreeing with the resident and indicating that she hoped the planning meeting would draw enough opposition to change the outcome.
A second resident emailed councilwoman Lisa Ford invoking a decades-old conspiracy theory that Muslim immigrants were building a voting bloc to eventually take over American cities; Ford replied that she agreed with everything the resident had raised. Separately, a caller to a nearby city planning office threatened violence against any official who voted to approve the mosque, a threat serious enough that police were alerted.
What Happens Next?
The Islamic Society and the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) sued Broken Arrow in federal court on Aug. 3, arguing the denial violated the Religious Land Use and Institutionalized Persons Act along with the First and Fourteenth Amendments. CAIR attorney Meghan Murphy said city leaders "did not want Muslims here, so they made up a reason."
The Justice Department opened its own investigation into the denial in July. Gentner Drummond, Oklahoma's attorney general, has since asked the Trump administration to call off that federal inquiry, calling it a federal overreach into a local land-use decision. Drummond is currently running for governor of the state. Not to be outdone, his opponent in the primary Mike Mazzei reportedly took to the stage at a recent church event to declare that, were he elected, he would "govern with a Christian worldview", designate CAIR as a foreign terrorist organization, and mandate police training to combat "Sharia violence."
Compared to all the arguing around it, the project itself (based on the plans) is pretty modest: a two-story, 23,000-square-foot worship and community center paired with a smaller retail building, a food pantry and a medical clinic organizers say will stay open to anyone nearby, regardless of faith.
For now, it will remain an empty field. Meanwhile, the Tulsa mosque recently added a third Friday prayer service to keep up with demand.
Is This Just Broken Arrow?
Far from it. Across the country, Islamic congregations are duking it out with town zoning committees with what seems to be increasing frequency, and volume. A Long Island congregation faced similar accusations that a town kept moving the zoning goalposts to block its mosque, a case ULC covered here. When ULC first wrote about the Broken Arrow vote back in January, it fit a pattern our coverage of Muslim life in America has tracked for years: anti-Muslim sentiment has continued its creep into town councils.
Hiba Calsy, for her part, seems to be as tired of the legal back-and-forth as she is of the long drives to pray in Tulsa. "We're just looking to worship," she said. It's a modest ask wrapped in a constitutional fight, and it will likely take a judge to settle it.
Where should the line sit between a city's right to manage its own zoning and a faith community's right to build a place to gather? And when officials say a vote was never about religion, how much should their own private emails count as evidence otherwise?
51 comments
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Bishop William Dusenberry, DD
Anyone whose “religion” determines for whom they vote, shouldn’t be allowed to vote; if they’re voting to defy what’s clearly a constitutional right. In other words, if one’s holy book (I,e, the Thomas Jefferson’s Bible, or otherwise) either ignores, or teaches its followers, to defy the constitution— then they should be denied the “right “ to vote, and, I’m a ULC bishop, and I approve of this SHL suggested mandate.
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Fred Eugene Combrink
I keep hearing Islam is a religion of peace, but then I see them celebrating in the streets when anything bad happens to the USA. Which is it?
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Ahmed Abduljabar Al-Hujazi
Perhaps you could post some of those incidents that support your point of view. And while you're at it please provide those instances where Christian schools were set up by the 19th century locals to destroy the Native American cultures by ripping children away from their families and torturing them if they prayed to their spirits, spoke their native languages, or performed their native customs. Then also provide some details regarding the Tulsa riots where white nationalists murdered dozens of people and scorched an entire black community. Don't forget to include your boy Adolf Hitler, who killed 6 million non-Christians, save a few hundred Jews who were welcomed in Jerusalem by the local Muslims.
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Leslie A. Hulberg Née Tomasura
I think of recent years there has been an anti Muslim movement that is on the rise. There is basically a movement that seeks to make it impossible for anyone who isn’t of the Christian faith to live safely in a community. Did we not learn anything from history? Look what happened in England when it was Protestants vs Catholics. Look what happened during the crusades. Look what happened within America when “missionaries” demanded that the indigenous people of this land become Christians and how many children died in the schools they were forced to attend. When will we learn that hatefulness of others is never a good idea. When will we learn that we are not all alike and that we don’t all believe the same thing or worship the same way? When will it be enough to worry about yourself and your relationship with a deity and stop worrying about other people’s faith or lack thereof? When will we learn from history that more people have died in the name of God/Allah/Vishnu/Yaweh/Jehova or whatever name suits your deity in the faith of your own choosing. And it is unnecessary for any more to die because of your belief? Who are you to judge others? Who are you to say what’s right and what’s wrong? Does your faith teach you to hate everyone who doesn’t look like you? Believe like you? Love like you? Worship like you? If so, please let me know the name of that faith so I make sure I never unwittingly fall into that pit of hatred and despair and that I always look at others with the same eyes I look at myself and my deity.
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Ari Joseph Bertine
Seeing a lot of Islam Derangement Syndrome going around.
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Sir Lionheart
Yes, and rightly so. Try living with your thoughts of freedom of speech in Iran and let’s see how long you live. Thousands have already died in Iran that didn’t want to subscribe to the Islamic faith.
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Joseph Saffomilla
Good for Broken Arrow; all one has to do is look at Dearborn or Minneapolis to see what a destructive force Islam is to this country.
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Ahmed Abduljabar Al-Hujazi
Perhaps you could post some of those incidents that support your point of view. And while you're at it please provide those instances where Christian schools were set up by the 19th century locals to destroy the Native American cultures by ripping children away from their families and torturing them if they prayed to their spirits, spoke their native languages, or performed their native customs. Then also provide some details regarding the Tulsa riots where white nationalists murdered dozens of people and scorched an entire black community. Don't forget to include your boy Adolf Hitler, who killed 6 million non-Christians, save a few hundred Jews who were welcomed in Jerusalem by the local Muslims.
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Bishop William Dusenberry, DD
Unlike Christianity, Islam never went through a Renaissance period— which enabled it to acquire some semblance of the Zarathustra-inspired Golden Rule. To develop a better understanding of how and why, Christianity is as peaceful as it pretends to be, read how the Christian knights behaved, after they conquered Jerusalem from those who lived there — and study the “Hundred Years War” between the Protestants and the Catholics, in which the entire Christian population of Europe was decimated by 33%.
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Karl Campbell
The problem to me is that of apostasy in Islam.
Under Article 18 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, religious freedom explicitly includes the right to change one’s religion or belief. USCIRF likewise describes freedom of religion or belief as including the right to hold a faith, hold no faith, change one’s belief, and remain free from coercion.
I’m interested in the argument against this.
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ServantOfJudgement
Islam isn't a religion. It's a world conquest of a theocracy.
In no way should or does that abomination belong in a free nation.
To my surprise, those who would die by Islam protect it. It makes it hard to disbelieve the Bible when walking victims of islam with scales on their eyes froth at the mouth to protect their executioner.
Logic fails to explain while pure hatred offers a reason. Hate of everything American will lead a person to do the darnedest things...
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Ahmed Abduljabar Al-Hujazi
Again, having spoken to all Muslims, you have the credentials to make such a sweeping statement.
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Gary. Collins
Yes agreed
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Rev Ned
Haters gotta hate.
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Sir Lionheart
Yes you’re right, Muslims really do hate, especially of those that don’t want to believe in their ideology. This is just the beginning though.
As someone once said "I reject the term radical Islam.' Islam is Islam. There are no moderates, and we all know it! Islam is a totalitarian ideology bent on world domination”.
Many in the west might not agree with that statement, but try convincing those in Iran differently who are being slaughter for resisting the Islamic Regime.
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Gary. Collins
Yes. They do not belong in America they’ve come to Take Over America
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Rev.Dr.Dennis Chevalier, Ph.D
SL, Amen.
I have been in country. I have seen the results of people wanting to think that the worst will not happen and those people are no longer on this planet.
I make this promise to any and all that have an active brainstem. I have seen cause and effect. They want nothing to do with peaceful coexistence. They want death and destruction at all cost.
Dr. D
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Dr Dennis Chevalier, MDiv, PhD, DDvin, ULC honorary DD
Yes they will
Dr. D
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Chris
Given the number of massive "Christian" churches all over the place, it does smack of bigotry to deny any other religious belief the same opportunity. Given the number of "Christians" who practice hatred and idolatry currently, it's hard to see a difference between what they claim Muslims want and what they themselves are demanding. This is not now, nor has it ever been, a Christian Nation. We have the First Amendment to prove that.
There are extremists in any belief system, including and especially Christianity. I've had more conflict with "Christian" coworkers than I ever have with Muslim coworkers. I'd much rather see an Islamic Center put in than a data center, definitely.
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Stephen P Singleton
Wonder if a Christian group of similar size would have the same obstacles to building a church? From Quantum Physics to Ancestry dot com we keep getting the same message: We're all of one "race" --the Human Race. All "children of the same God". Getting locked into rigid scriptures, even a rigid view of "History" all leads to contention with some other group that thinks THEY are the "chosen". We're all here in the same NOW. Sharing this Reality. On This Planet. Get to know your neighbors. We all want Peace.
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Patricia Ann Gross
To answer your question, the mayor would probably help them break ground, especially if it was his brand of Christianity.
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Rev. Carol M Anaski-Figurski
Well its discrimination of religion based on Islamophobias. They cant just allow Christians. Islam Muslims should build together so there is safety in numbers. I think its a great idea to place the mosque, med ofc & the food pantry there great idea. Perhaps while you wait for the permit or approval you can hold outside gatherings to worship in numbers to teach tolerance of differences or religion. If you get further backlash you have a better case to prove discrimination. blest be modern culture & multifaith based is growing by leaps & bounds. Good luck.
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Dr Dennis Chevalier, MDiv, PhD, DDvin, ULC honorary DD
Dear Carol,
Islamophobia, also referred to as anti-Muslim or anti-Islamic sentiment, is the ****irrational fear of****. It is not an irrational fear. Of what I have personally witnessed from the radicals of Muslims. There are peaceful Muslims. Everywhere. But the radical ones, the ones that turn children into living, walking, talking bombs. Are the lowest common denominator. And must be defended against. And therefore. There or not, and we all know that life is not fair. We must guard and protect. On the side of the radicals. Not even one can be tolerated. So until they can police their own. And prove that they can do that effectively. We will defend and protect any and all. From their behavior, belief and actions.
I'm sure my entry will get blank. Because the truth does not like to be told on this bulletin board. Nonetheless. This is the truth. Not Dr Denny's truth. The truth. I have seen too many people blown up. From things like this. Listening to the Liberals scream 0h, it says islamophobia. No it's not. It's real life. The threat is real.
Dr. D
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Jimmy Moon
Stop all Muslim construction. Their their goal is to kill the infidels, as they put it. They want to impose sharia law to bring down America. GOD does not support freedom of religion.
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Gary. Collins
Amen
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Ahmed Abduljabar Al-Hujazi
Having interviewed all Muslims around the country, you would know. Right?
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Jimmy Moon
Yes I do. They are all for killing Christians. But you would'nt know that if you have not picked up a quran and read it. Don't be ignorant.
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Rev Ned
Got facts?!? Facts not Fox!
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Jimmy Moon
Facts for what?
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John Alex Paxson
We are all children of a higher belief, Religion is manmade. We all believe differently, as long as we are good and respectful to each other, religion is moot.
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Brian Hand
But the muzzies want everyone else dead. So it’s time for another Crusade!
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Joseph Grieco
So, you're calling for violence against people who have never tried to harm you. How Christian of you.
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Rev Ned
Haters gotta hate. Let’s sing, 🎼 Jesus loves me, but He can’t stand you!
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ServantOfJudgement
Trouble is John, some us aren't down with the general rule of being good and respectful.
If you can live with people who behead unbelievers, hang homosexuals and take children as wives then you might be ok.
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Gary. Collins
Yes.
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Rev'd Andrew
Well, we already live with a religion that has branded people heretics and tortured them and burned them at the stake, created a culture that was comfortable with chattel slavery, hanging people for being black, and taking children as wives. So your caricature of Islam fits right in with the reality of American Christianity.
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Keoni Ronald May
There was once a time, in NYC, whereby I was not permitted to enter a Muslim Mosque.
I was only curious and wanted to learn about a Muslim Mosque by seeing the inside.
I was rudely rejected at the front door by a giant Muslim guard.
I was not disrespectful, chose my words very carefully, and did not give anyone the impression of a hostile intent.
Selective door policy.
I could enter any NYC Christian church without any questions.
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Gary. Collins
Yes. AND AMEN
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Ahmed Abduljabar Al-Hujazi
Do you count Mormon temples in your list of Christian places? I'm sorry that you had a negative experience at the mosque. That is not an attitude that we have at my mosque. All are welcome to observe the practices, or perform Muslim practices at the mosque.
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Dr Dennis Chevalier, MDiv, PhD, DDvin, ULC honorary DD
Ahmed, Mormonism is a sudo (meaning christian like (Fake) religion. I know I was one amongst others. It's just as lost as others that put on the airs of demi-gods and the like.
Dr. D.
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Colleen McAllister
Bigotry is simply fear of anyone different. That fear morphs into hatred and anger. Religious bigotry is just as hate filled as any other type.
This country was not found as a Christian nation, but as a country where everyone is free to worship their chosen religion in their own way. To bar Muslims from a Worship center of their own is to go against everything our founders fought for.
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Bishop William Dusenberry, DD
CM; you were indoctrinated, by whomever taught you US history, that “every is free to worship their chosen religion in their own way” — which means that what you perceive to be free, is not freedom at all. After anyone is successfully brainwashed as an adolescent, ongoing through adolescence, one is never free, to select some other religious mythology. Once one is brainwashed into knowing that Holy Ghosts, and things such as Virgin Mary’s exist — and that after one evolves from our Earth (dies) that one will be compelled to spend eternity with their first wife. God is just a way of personifying Nature, Nature which demands respect — not to be worshipped. As long as parents are free, to religiously brainwash their little naive kiddies— without being charged with child abuse — religious mythology will continue to rule the roost.
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Dr Dennis Chevalier, MDiv, PhD, DDvin, ULC honorary DD
If the sizes do not fit. You need to consider something like a hidden arsenal weapons storage or Personnel smuggling and hiding. This is the way of Muslims of the Q'oran overseas.
Dr. D
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Michael Hunt
What did this have to do with anything but spreading Islamophobia?
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Reverend Paula Copp
Why are you stereotyping Muslims? Who else are you racist against? The disabled, Jews, LGBTQ+? You’re a minister among other things; we are all brothers and sisters, no matter who they worship. May you find wisdom and peace.
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Karl Campbell
Islam isn’t a “race”.
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Rev. Ken Shostad
First of all one Must know the history, what "They" believe in and what "they" will do... There's a People's whom FALSELY believe "they" are The Chosen People's of GOD, and "they" think ALL other's are unworthy to even live... They've been removed from perhaps ALL countries of the World over 1500 times in 2000 years, "They" use the old saying "The Enemy of my Enemy is my Friend" attitude and has always pitted the Muslim's against the Christians as "they" are also against the Christians... Both Muslim's and Islam is NOT compatible with Christians in ANY WAY, The USA is a Christian Nation, PERIOD!!! The Original Organic Constitution of the USA, NOT The Act of 1871 [Corporate], is based on the NKJ Bible directly and indirectly... Both the others: [Muslim's and Islam] Kill, Steal, and Destroy ALL others, it's ALL False Teaching and from Satan himself... The only Teaching that wants to spread LOVE and NOT Hate is Christianity, PERIOD!!! We are taught to Love our Enemy... Do some Research into ALL to fully understand what is going on... Who are the chosen people of GOD??? "Sam Shamoun Answers: Pastor Says Jews Are God’s Chosen People… The Bible Says NO" https://youtu.be/VP0aBnwjcFc?si=rfLBdtcJs0ZB4olN Pro-Israel = Pro-Zionist = Dispensationalism “Jews are still the chosen people” = BAD Theology. Matthew 21: 33-44 Mathew 8: 10-13 Romans 2:26-29 Galatians 4:21-31 Hebrews 12:22-24 Revelation 21 Galatians 3:15-18 Galatians 3:26-29 Revelation 2:8-9 Revelation 3:7-9 Matthew 23:37-39 Matthew 23:32-36 1 John 3:12 John 8:44 People are seeing through the PROPAGANDA machine "they" OWN and Operate... GOD Bless ALL Patriots of the world, LORD, please put a hedge of Protection around us ALL, AMEN...
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Patricia Ann Gross
Rev. Ken,
For someone who says, "The only Teaching that wants to spread LOVE and NOT Hate is Christianity," you sure are preaching a lot of hate.
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Gary. Collins
I agree. Amen
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Dr. Zerpersande, NSC
It’s a start. Even more importantly it needs to be expanded to xtian churches, too.
Jimmy Jones and David Koresh were "Christians." They certainly did nit represent anywhere near the majority of Christians. Extremists Muslims do not represent the majority of Muslims.