Diversity Comes to Orland Park

By vouchey in News on Jun 22, 2004 12:25PM

In Southwest Suburban Orland Park, Village Board Members voted 7-0 to allow construction of a new mosque that will accomodate up to 500 worshipers, "because it is the right thing to do." The mosque is the first non-Christian house of worship to be built in the suburb, and it wasn't without strong protest.

Before conducting the vote, Board members heard statements of support and protest from the over 400 people gathered in the Village Hall. One protester, Vernon Lyons, pastor of Ashburn Baptist Church, led the opposition, reading from various treatises about terrorism and warning the Orland Park mosque would breed similar acts. From the Chicago Tribune:

"As a Christian, a Baptist and an American, I am a firm believer in religious freedom, but when any group jeopardizes our national security and liberty, they are not deserving of our tolerance," Lyons said.

Chicagoist finds it hard to believe this kind of thinking still exists in our country, but isn't it nice that we're a tolerant enough nation to allow such close-mindedness to exist? Carrying the banner of The American Dream, was one of the mosque's supporters, Huda Krad who said to the Board, "Please, America, after all you have given me, please do not deny me a place to worship."