Alpharetta Council Denies Mosque

In a unanimous decision, the Alpharetta City Council voted 6-0 Monday night to deny an application by the Islamic Center of North Fulton to expand a mosque located on Rucker Road.

During three hours of public comment, one member of the Muslim congregation accused city leaders of racism and discrimination. Prwaiz Iqbal said "if we are denied a decent place of worship, you might as well hang a banner here in downtown Alpharetta that Muslims are not welcome in this city."

Doug Dillard, the attorney representing the mosque, said the council's vote violated his client's constitutional rights. He claimed the city council has approved expansion plans for other churches of similar size.

The city council based it decision in part on agreements reached in 1998 and 2005 between Fulton County and the Islamic Center that the congregation would not ask to expand its mosque from the current 2,500 square foot house used for worship. Another attorney for the mosque, Pete Hendricks, told the Alanta Journal-Constitution the conditions imposed by Fulton County were not a contract in the conventional sense. He said the worship center did not agree, but did not object to the agreement. Alpharetta Mayor Arthur Letchas said "when you make an agreement you hold to that agreement, you just don't kick out an agreement like that".

Residents of Rucker Road opposed the Islamic Center's plans for fear a larger facility would increase traffic and noise in their neighborhood.