A Tennessee judge refused to halt construction on a proposed plan to build an Islamic center. The 52,000 Islamic center will include a pool, a gym and other amenities. Plaintiffs sought an injunction against the construction of the mosque on the grounds that it would be detrimental to the water quality, soil contamination and traffic flow on a nearby highway.
The U.S. Department of Justice filed a legal brief expressing is support for the mosque and stating that practicing Islam is a right protected under the First Amendment of the Constitution.
This seems to be just another case in which the court is trying to balance the community’s preferences with the constitutional rights of individuals.