Brookfield Common Council Unanimously Approves Mosque Plans
Brookfield’s common council unanimously approved the Islamic Society of Milwaukee’s plans for a mosque on Pheasant Drive during their May 15th meeting, granting ISM a conditional-use permit for the land. With the approval of the planning commission last week, the 14-0 common council vote signified the last hurdle to be surmounted before ground could be broken.
As evidenced by the overwhelming support of the community and planning commission at last week’s public hearing, it was no surprise that ISM was granted the conditional-use permit. That said, opposition to the mosque was still present. Ten individuals voiced concerns regarding traffic, expansion and Sharia.
As stated by Mayor Ponto and the planning commission, traffic concerns have been addressed and were resolved prior to the public hearing.
Regarding expansion, Dr. Mushir Hassan, leading the ISM West Task Force, has consistently reiterated that expansion will not be considered an option until Calhoun Road is expanded, a project unlikely to be undertaken by the City of Brookfield within the next decade.
Concerns over the implementation of Sharia Law and extremism are rooted in a misunderstanding of the Islamic faith. These concerns, along with other concerns brought forth by the public have been addressed multiple times at different points in this journey. Most notable was the public forum held on April 22nd at Gethsemane Evangelical Church. Brookfield Now published an article describing concerns raised at this forum.
Again, the amount of support that the Islamic Community has received for this project has vastly outweighed opposition to the Mosque. It is because of that support that ISM has been able to reach this stage of the project.
The next step forward will be raising funds for the building’s construction. The ISM West Fundraising dinner will be this Friday May 18th at the Wauwatosa Crowne Plaza Hotel. If plans go smoothly, ISM will be able to break ground this summer and open the Mosque in 2013.
Brookfield Planning Commission Unanimously Approves Proposed Brookfield Mosque
In a city hall meeting on May 7th, 2012, the Brookfield planning committee unanimously approved of plans for a proposed Brookfield Mosque. Along with the media, over 100 individuals attended, filling the main hall and two overflow areas with many standing on the sides. During the public hearing, it was clear that the overwhelming majority of those in attendence were in support of the project with 86 people speaking, yet, less than ten speaking in opposition.
Most of the individuals speaking in support stated that the main reason they supported the project was the close proximity of a place of worship to their home. Non-Muslim Brookfield residents reiterated this fact, arguing that Muslims living in Brookfield deserve the right to a local place of worship just as other faith groups do.
A large number of Brookfield Muslims stated that a local mosque would alleviate the biweekly trek to Milwaukee's south side for the Friday prayer and their childern's Sunday School.
Though a small minority, those opposed to the mosque had limited concerns including parking, environmental issues (mainly water-runoff), and traffic. That said, the planning committee acknowledged that these issues had already been addressed through the coordinated efforts of the committee and the leadership from ISM West. This was reflected in many of the statements by the public, thanking the committee for its due diligence with the project.
After the public hearing portion, some aldermen made personal statements on the process as a whole before voting to approve. One alderman stated that he had no questions or concerns because of the extensive preparation and meetings that the ISM West leadership had taken upon itself to conduct prior to the public hearing.
District #4 Alderman Mark Nelson gave a nod to Brookfield Now and The Brookfield Patch for their continual and professional coverage, citing that they have responsibly informed the public for every step of the process.
District #5 Alderman Gary Mahkorn gave a very heartfelt statement. Mahkorn invoked the Consitution and the Bill of Rights, arguing that the public hearing was a breathing example of the Brookfield community's freedom to assemble, emotionally stating "We did this tonight." Additionally, Mahkorn stated that when his time ended as an alderman, "This is one evening I will be proud to talk about."
Overall, the meeting went exceptionally smooth. The demographics in attendance were Muslim, non-Muslim, male, female, young, old, and everything inbetween. Even with large numbers in attendence, everyone conducted themselves in a civil manner. The Muslim community was represented as the educated, articulate and peaceful community that it is.
The next step in the process will be the Brookfield Common Council meeting on May 15th, 2012. At this meeting, there will be a brief 15 minute open comment session preceeding the vote to approve the plans.
The Islamic Society of Milwaukee would like to thank everyone who showed their support at the public hearing on Monday and at prior events. It is your support that has made this project possible.
Media Coverage:
ISM Holds General Assembly Meeting, Announces Shura Election Results
The Islamic Society of Milwaukee held its annual general assembly meeting on Sunday, April 29, 2012 at the Islamic Center. We would like to sincerely thank all members of the ISM who attended and participated.
At the annual meeting, the ISM Election Committee announced the results of this year's elections. The following individuals were elected to serve on the thirteen member Executive Board:
Ahmed J. Quereshi as President
Nabil Salous as Treasurer
Salah Sarsour as Religious Affairs Chair
Shaik O. Sayeed as Education Chair
Mohamed Sandid as At-Large Member
Congratulations to all those who have been elected. May Allah (swt) bless them for all of their volunteer work and their willingness to serve their faith and their community.
