Rural town may block Muslim site

A Muslim group’s plan to build a mosque and convention site on a 224-acre farm has met with resistance from many residents of this rural, overwhelmingly Christian town who fear its tranquility and security may be jeopardized.

The Ahmadiyya Muslim Community USA insists it will be a friendly neighbor, but its proposal — including an annual national gathering of thousands of Ahmadis — could be blocked by a measure under consideration by the town commissioners.

”Muslims are a whole different culture from us,” said the mayor, Ralph Whitmore, taking a break at his livestock feed store. ”The situation with the Muslims is a touchy worldwide situation, so people are antsy over that.”

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10 comments on “Rural town may block Muslim site

  1. Steven in Falls Church says:

    This group calls itself Muslim but they are not Muslim as they believe a later prophet superseded Mohammed:

    Muqtedar Khan, a political science professor at the University of Delaware, said the blunt opposition voiced by some Walkersville citizens is reminiscent of the persecution Ahmadis have endured in Pakistan. There, they are forbidden to practice their religion because they believe there was a prophet after Muhammad — Hadrat Mirza Ghulam Ahmad, who died in 1908.

    Would the folks living in this town feel the same way if a bunch of Zoroastrians wanted to move in next door?

  2. azusa says:

    # 1 – That makes them Abrahamic Religion No. 7 – and a prime target for jihadis purifying the True Religion of Peace (TM).

  3. NewTrollObserver says:

    The Ahmadiyyas divided after their founder’s death. One group, the Qadiani Ahmadiyya, believe that the founder — Ghulam Ahmad — was a post-Muhammadan prophet. The individuals in the story belongs to this group, which has been heavily persecuted in Pakistan, since they claim a prophet after Muhammad.
    The other group, called the Lahori Ahmadiyya, claim that Ahmad merely revived and clarified Islam, and was not a prophet. This group has received a bit more acceptance among Muslims.

  4. justinmartyr says:

    Oh my, oh my. “Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you.” Not many Christians in town, it seems.

  5. robroy says:

    They can move in, but make them live in [url=http://jihadwatch.org/dhimmiwatch/ ]dhimmitude[/url].

  6. azusa says:

    # 4 – i can’t comment on that, but I do know there aren’t many Christians in Pakistan. Do you know why, justinmartyr?

  7. CharlesB says:

    I wonder if it was a pig farm?

  8. Irenaeus says:

    From the article it sounds like the Ahmadis are pursuing their proposal in a very reasonable way, seeking to persuade Walkersville residents and accommodate their concerns. It also sounds like they well remember the risks of living as a religious minority under Muslim rule. Let them have their mosque and convention site. Identify potential problems and reach agreement on how to resolve them.

  9. Harvey says:

    ” …Methinks something is rotten in Denmark…” (Hamlet)

  10. BCP28 says:

    A few thoughts. I have some passing familiarity with Walkersville: my best friends lived there for five years, and my uncle was a principal at the high school once. I taught at the next high school up Rte 15 for three years. The Grand Wizard’s kids were in the building.

    1. This is ex-urban DC, but also an old farming community. There are a few churches: Assemblies of God, Evangelical and Reformed, Methodist. Football, cheerleading, and marching band are pretty important. Like much of Frederick County, there is a strong German evangelical heritage. There is one non-affiliated synagogue in downtown Frederick. No prominent mosques that I recall.
    2. All of Frederick county has been experiencing some tension regardng the old vs new population. Old Frederick people are moving to Walkersville, old Walkersville people are moving to Thurmont, and old Thurmont people are moving to Emmitsburg, Sabillasville, or Pennsylvania.
    3. Diocese MD is working on building a new parish called (wince and gag) The Gathering in Walkersville.
    4. It could very well be a pig farm. There are a few in the neighborhood.