Broken Arrow mosque leaders sue over alleged discrimination

(RNS) — Just before a crucial vote on a proposed mosque in Broken Arrow, Oklahoma, Mayor Debra Wimpee and other city officials were swamped by emails demanding that they reject the proposal, with many writing anti-Muslim comments.

“Every country in Europe, once Muslims reached over 2% of the population, they started acting violently,” claimed one email from a mosque opponent. “ We are not discriminating against them as people, we just do not want them setting up shop in our neighborhood.”

“I have the very same concerns,” Wimpee replied.

Wimpee’s response and a similar email from a city council member, both first reported by the Tulsa Flyer, are cited in a lawsuit filed Monday (Aug. 3), alleging that Wimpee and other Broken Arrow leaders illegally rejected a rezoning request by the Islamic Society of Tulsa to build the first mosque in the city.

The complaint, filed on behalf of the Islamic Society of Tulsa in U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Oklahoma, names Wimpee, four members of the Broken Arrow City Council and the city itself in arguing a January vote against the proposed mosque violated federal land use and religious freedom laws.

“The City of Broken…