Thread: Plans for mosque in Folsom on track

http://www.sacbee.com/101/story/101243.html

Plans for mosque in Folsom on track
By Cathy Locke - Bee Staff Writer

Published 12:00 am PST Monday, January 1, 2007
Story appeared in METRO section, Page B2

Print | E-Mail | Comments

Members of the Islamic Society of Folsom expect 2007 to be a landmark year.

If all goes well, they will break ground for a mosque by the end of this month, said Riaz Siddique, society president.

Before beginning work, they had to obtain right of entry from a neighboring property owner. "That took a little time," Siddique said, adding that the society is reviewing construction bids and preparing to select a contractor.

He expects the building, to be named the Masjid Bilal, will be ready to occupy in 2008.

The society serves residents of Folsom, El Dorado Hills, Rancho Cordova, Orangevale, Roseville and various foothills communities. It currently rents a 4,000-square-foot office building on Folsom Boulevard.

City approval of the two-story, 31,688-square-foot mosque planned at Sibley Street and Levy Road sparked controversy in 2005. Some nearby residents complained that the city didn't do enough to publicize hearings on the project.

Some people voiced concerns about noise and increased traffic in the neighborhood, while others raised national security issues and called for an FBI investigation of the society's finances to find out whether it received funds from overseas.

Siddique has said that the $2.3 million project is being funded by members of the congregation and other private sources in the United States.

In an effort to alleviate concerns, Siddique said, members of the society have increased their outreach, particularly to Folsom's religious community.

Over the past year, Siddique said, he has met with various church leaders, and the society is routinely represented along with local churches in community meetings sponsored by Folsom Police Chief Sam Spiegel.

Siddique said he believes "the misunderstanding has been eliminated and we're on track."

Greg Jones, an El Dorado Hills resident and Folsom Parks Department employee who sought the FBI investigation, said he still thinks the mosque will be detrimental to Folsom, but he has been unable to sway city officials or generate active opposition in the community.

Jones said he doesn't object to local Muslims having a place to worship. But the traditional mosque with a 70-foot minaret, he said, "looks like it would be a magnet for get-togethers from all over California."

Among those who don't share Jones' fears is the pastor of his church. Kent Carlson, a senior pastor of Folsom's Oak Hills Church, said he has met with Siddique and members of the Islamic Society of Folsom, including the congregation's new imam.

"I've had wonderful conversations with Riaz and some others," Carlson said, noting that he participated in a feast at the end of Ramadan.

"My big thing is, this is the United States of America, and we have religious freedom," he said. "So I don't understand the mentality that would want to do something other than that."

Carlson said he understands concerns about national security, adding that the most important thing the society can do to quell fears is to distance itself from Islamic extremists.

"There is no indication this group wants to do anything other than practice Islam in Folsom. ... They seem very moderate," Carlson said.

Siddique said the society, which currently numbers about 200 members, plans to step up its outreach to the neighborhood and the community as construction gets under way.

The project will be carried out in three phases, he said, beginning with grading and installation of retaining walls on the east and west sides of the 2- acre site.

The building shell will be erected in the second phase, and about half the interior improvements will be completed, providing a prayer hall and five or six classrooms.

Siddique said the mosque will house a school, offering a kindergarten through eighth-grade academic program.

The remainder of the interior work, or third phase, will be completed as funds become available, he said.

Siddique said he expects construction to begin around the end of April.

There is no indication this group wants to do anything other than practice Islam

Exactly the point...the trojan horse arrives.