A town in Alabama tanked plans to build a Muslim school in their area, with the zoning commission citing traffic concerns and some locals pointing to the “cultural takeover” of Muslims in Dearborn, Michigan and the United Kingdom (UK).
Residents of Hoover in suburban Birmingham “showed up in force” to a zoning commission meeting on Monday as the board voted on whether to allow the establishment of the Islamic Academy, the Daily Mail reported. Approximately 170 locals attended the meeting, where many opposed a motion to move the existing Muslim school from Homewood to Hoover.
The commission ended up unanimously denying the zoning request, citing traffic concerns and questions about long-term use of the site, which is currently a local office building. Those in attendance “erupted in applause” when the council ultimately voted to deny the zoning request, according to the report.
“While residents agreed with the board’s reasons for denial, there was also heavy discussion about cultural and religious concerns,” the outlet reported. “Some locals were fearful that the proposed K-12 school would transform Hoover into a Muslim society.”
Protesters stood in the meeting room holding signs in opposition to the school, with some reading “Give an inch — Dearborn Michigan,” and another reading, “Stop the 100 year plan,” in reference to a theory Muslims are staging a takeover of American institutions, the report describes.
Some residents voiced concerns the school would hinder business development in Hoover.
“You’re going to have real problems with this community, I’m just telling you now,’” resident Bruce Davis reportedly said. “There’s going to be an influx of other people that are going to create a problem for this community and we might as well just face it.”
One woman at the meeting said: “Stay in Homewood.” The Islamic Academy has been located in Homewood, Alabama since 1995 and has around 260 students, lawyer Lucas Gambio told AL.com.
Some residents said they were worried about traffic congestion in an already bustling area, as well as property values and the school’s effects on future zoning.
The final resident speaker at the meeting cited a “long-term cultural takeover” by Muslims in the UK and her experience traveling there, which reportedly drew applause from many in attendance.
“I was shocked to witness the land that gave us the King James Bible, supposedly a Christian nation, overwhelmingly being taken over,” the speaker said, according to 1819 News. “I witnessed in the United Kingdom, especially, in Manchester, Birmingham, London, that the multiculturism did not work.”
‘The Muslims did not assimilate. In fact, the Brits bent backwards to accommodate their demands over and over, again, to the level of feeling the second-class citizens in their own country,” she added.
Commission Chairman Mike Wood eventually cut off the speaker, telling her she was going off-topic and the crowd objected, according to the report.
“We are here to look at whether this school was appropriately placed,” Wood said. “We’re not here for that. I’m sorry. We’re not going to listen to that.”
The commission’s rejection now goes before the City Council for a final vote on the project.
