Judge: Requiring more parking for mosque is unconstitutional
Source: Associated Press
Updated 10:40am, Monday, January 2, 2017
NEWARK, N.J. (AP) An upscale New Jersey town violated anti-discrimination laws by insisting that a proposed mosque have more parking spaces than churches or synagogues because of its unique worship times and traditions, a federal judge has ruled.
The ruling issued Saturday by U.S. District Judge Michael Shipp stated that Bernards Township violated the Religious Land Use and Institutional Persons Act by applying a different standard to Muslims.
Shipp found the township's planning board had "unbridled and unconstitutional discretion" because of its vague parking requirements.
The Islamic Society's application to build the mosque was denied after more than three years and 39 public hearings. The group sued the township in March.
Read more: http://www.chron.com/news/us/article/Judge-Township-wrongly-treated-proposed-mosque-10830347.php
4Tone
(49 posts)And those of us capable of living and letting live have to watch our government used as a tool in a centuries-spanning religious sibling grudge-match.
riversedge
(70,310 posts)regulations--telling the Muslims they needed larger parking lots.
Reminds me of states imposing new and outlandish standards or regulations to PP buildings. Anything to prevent PP from carrying on its business.
4Tone
(49 posts)religions, and that's why the mosque was exclusively targeted.
Atheist city government officials wouldn't be singling any one religion out. I am suggesting that members of other Abrahamic faiths are the ones discriminating against their fellow believers.
riversedge
(70,310 posts)bucolic_frolic
(43,311 posts)or religion? or the local government planning board?
4Tone
(49 posts)at the expense of others, which is exactly what happened here. Atheist officials wouldn't target Muslims for extra regulations.
bucolic_frolic
(43,311 posts)I see the point, and it's a good one
Welcome to DU!
Initech
(100,104 posts)And then in the next they pull this shit!
"Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances."
That is the fucking first amendment, assholes! You must abide by it!
niyad
(113,582 posts)freedom FROM religion"-- was going to put a sticky note that read "yes it does, you clueless twit"
Initech
(100,104 posts)I wanted to put a sticky under that that said "It's OK, we liberals don't believe the "liberal" media you speak of either."
niyad
(113,582 posts)lancelyons
(988 posts)yeah GOP are all for Religious freedoms and rights As long as you have the same religion as them.
Lucky Luciano
(11,260 posts)They are very rude when it comes to parking. They double and even triple park all the time. Drives me insane. Sometimes it slows me down in traffic causing me to have to wait through a couple lights to get to the next block. Then I start yelling at people that they are out of fucking line being assholes parking like that. It really blows my stack when I just want to get home after a 13 hour work day.
They must have an agreement with the city to not get ticketed. I don't understand it.
Rustyeye77
(2,736 posts)Just wow.
LiberalFighter
(51,103 posts)I would think that it would not be determined at the local level without guidance from state.