Lawsuit: Anti-Muslim prejudice prompted city to block mosque

By EMILY WAGSTER PETTUS
Associated Press

JACKSON, Miss. (AP) — A lawsuit says leaders of a northern Mississippi city were motivated by anti-Muslim prejudice when they rejected a zoning request for what would be the first mosque in the area. American Civil Liberties Union of Mississippi filed suit Wednesday on behalf of two men who want to build the mosque. Earlier this year, the Horn Lake planning commission recommended denying the site plan for the mosque. The Board of Aldermen agreed, citing concerns about insufficient water supply for fire sprinklers and the possibility of traffic and noise. The lawsuit asks a federal judge to overturn the city’s decision. Horn Lake’s mayor did not immediately respond to a request for comment.