The U.S. Department of Justice says a Virginia county violated federal law by blocking the construction of a mosque.
DOJ filed a lawsuit against Culpeper County, Virginia, on Monday, arguing that county officials "imposed a substantial burden" on a Muslim congregation's free exercise of religion and discriminated against the group based on religion.
Members of the Islamic Center of Culpeper (ICC) bought land to build the county's first mosque, but the county board denied them a "pump and haul" sewage permit, saying the site does not meet requirements.
The Justice Department said the county has considered 26 applications since 1992 and never denied a pump and haul permit to a commercial or religious use prior to the ICC.
“The Constitution and federal law specifically protect the freedom of religious communities to establish houses of worship,” the head of the Civil Rights Division, Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Vanita Gupta, said in a statement. “The Justice Department will continue to work tirelessly to protect every person’s right to assemble for religious exercise.”
In April, the Culpeper County Board of Supervisors denied the ICC's request for a sewage system permit in a 4-3 vote.
A roomful of Culpeper County residents cheered when the board denied the permit request, the Culpeper Star-Exponent reported at the time.
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The ICC began meeting in 2011, first in a train station and then in a small home next to a member's car dealership. News4 reported in April that they had about 20 members and were seeking a proper prayer space. The property the group bought was an abandoned house surrounded by weeds.
Member Mohammad Nawabe previously told News4 he simply was seeking to live and worship alongside his neighbors.
"This is my right. I'm trying to protect my right too," he said.
