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D.O.J. says Pennsylvania town broke federal law by rejecting mosque plans

By Doug G. Ware
The U.S. Department of Justice building is seen in Washington, D.C. Friday, the department announced a lawsuit it had filed against a Pennsylvania town, claiming it broke a federal law in 2014 when it denied approval for the construction of a new mosque. File Photo by Roger L. Wollenberg/UPI
The U.S. Department of Justice building is seen in Washington, D.C. Friday, the department announced a lawsuit it had filed against a Pennsylvania town, claiming it broke a federal law in 2014 when it denied approval for the construction of a new mosque. File Photo by Roger L. Wollenberg/UPI | License Photo

WASHINGTON, July 22 (UPI) -- The U.S. Department of Justice has filed a lawsuit against a Pennsylvania town for supposedly violating a federal law by rejecting plans for construction of an Islamic mosque.

Justice officials filed the suit Thursday against Bensalem Township, alleging the town's 2014 denial of a zoning variance for the mosque's construction imposed a burden on religious exercise -- which is specifically prohibited by the Religious Land Use and Institutionalized Persons Act of 2000.

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Officials said the Bensalem Masjid was treated less favorably than the town treats other, nonreligious assemblies and discriminated on the basis of religion.

"Our Constitution protects the rights of religious communities to build places of worship free from unlawful interference and unnecessary barriers," the department's lead civil rights attorney, Vanita Gupta, said in a statement Friday. "The Department of Justice will continue to challenge unjustified local zoning actions around the country when they encroach upon this important civil right."

The suit seeks new approval for the mosque, training for town employees on religious land-use laws, and unspecified damages.

Bensalem officials were disappointed by the Justice Department's complaint, the Philadelphia Inquirer reported.

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Proponents of the mosque's construction reacted positively to the government's action.

"We have young children who are growing up without a place of worship," Bensalem Masjid member Imtiaz Chaudhry said. "We feel like we're not able to provide the young children in our community a place that they can call home."

Dept. of Justice complaint against Bensalem Township

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