Archbishop Wester defends proposed mosque in New Mexico, criticizes ‘anti-Muslim sentiment’

Archbishop John Charles Wester of Santa Fe, New Mexico, voiced support for a Muslim group’s effort to construct a mosque in the suburbs of Albuquerque after the plan faced some community pushback.

The Albuquerque Islamic Center received approval for the new mosque in North Valley in a 5-1 vote by the Bernalillo County Planning Commission on July 1. The hearing was about five hours long with comments from the community, and the commission ultimately approved the mosque but not the proposed school, to keep the project smaller and the expected traffic lighter.

Wester issued a six-paragraph statement on July 27 in support of the project, saying Muslims have a right to access worship services and religious freedom extends beyond Christians.

In his statement, the archbishop said he has heard “concerns from residents” about the planned mosque and felt “compelled to speak clearly and pastorally” about the tension.

“Our Muslim neighbors have the same God-given and constitutionally protected right to worship freely as every other faith community, including our own,” he said and cited the Second Vatican Council’s declaration on religious freedom, Dignitatis Humanae .

Our Muslim…