After years of legal battles, the first mosque in the city of Troy, Michigan, opened its doors on Saturday, amid joyous feelings from among the Muslim community.
Alhamdulillah – the city of Troy, #Michigan has allowed for a mosque to be built after blocking its construction for years. Our Michigan chapter will continue to stand with the mosque until it is compensated for the costs of the delay, in sha Allah. pic.twitter.com/fbEIxQisOm
— CAIR National (@CAIRNational) September 17, 2022
“Joyous feelings, great feelings couldn’t be better than this one could be today,” Mahmood Syed from Jamiah Masjid of Troy told Click On Detroit.
The legal battles started in 2018 when the leaders of the community center and mosque bought the building.
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The federal government filed a lawsuit against Troy in 2019, arguing Troy violated federal law for religious land use when it denied zoning approval for a mosque.
Last March, a federal judge ruled that the city’s zoning laws violated federal law by preventing the mosque from opening doors.
Legal Battle Continues
The mosque is now asking for $1.9 million, citing similar cases in Sterling Heights and Pittsfield Township.
“The City of Troy has acted egregiously since 2018 with regards to this case,” CAIR Michigan attorney for Mosque Amy Doukoure said.
“The money that we’re asking for is not excessive. It’s very much in line with settlements that are very recent for the same issues in other cities in the state of Michigan. We’re also asking for actual damages.”
The new mosque will offer parties on religious holidays, community dinners, Saturday school for teens and pre-teens, five daily prayers, and classes in the Qur’an.
The city of Troy touts itself as being diverse and inclusive. According to Dawud Walid, executive director for CAIR-MI, an estimated 4,000 Muslims currently live in Troy.