Murfreesboro, TN bigots vs. REAL decency

Mark West believes in freedom of religion.

That belief brought West out Monday night to a candlelight vigil in support of local Muslims in front of the Rutherford County Courthouse.

It also inspired the lifelong Baptist to make a donation to the building fund for a new mosque in Murfreesboro.

"I'm going down to Islamic Center of Nashville tomorrow and make a $100 donation," West said Monday night. "One hundred bucks is hard to come by these days, but it's a statement."

West was among about 150 people to attend Monday's night's vigil, organized in response to the recent fire at the construction site for the new mosque. Many in the crowd held candles or signs proclaiming such messages as "We're all in this together" and "My God is not a bigot." They also joined in singing "We Shall Overcome."

On the outskirts a small but vocal group of mosque opponents made their presence known.

Collier Hopson drove his pickup to the vigil. In the back was a plywood sign bearing the spray-painted words "No Mosque."

He said that local Christians have a right to build churches. But mosques should be banned, he said.

"I don't support their beliefs," he said. " No one wants them here."

Standing in front of the pickup, Kimberly Kelly agreed. She said she is afraid of Muslims and that the violence from Iraq and other countries could come to Murfreesboro.

She said if the fire at the mosque site was arson as many suspect, Muslims deserved it.

"I think it was a piece of their own medicine," she said. "They bombed our country."