“Christian” evangelical leader Pat Robertson has joined a growing chorus of those who oppose Muslim mosques in America. But unlike those against a planned New York City Islamic center near Ground Zero, Robertson has directed his hate toward a recently torched mosque site in the small village of Murfreesboro, Tennessee.
The longtime host of CBN’s THE 700 CLUB recently said he was against the proposed Islamic Center of Murfreesboro because he didn’t want it to bring thousands of Muslims into the relatively rural area. Robertson claimed that allowing in any new Muslim residents who follow Islam would be opening the door for them to elect “all their own kind” to the City Council and to “take over.” He also warned that officials elected with the vote of thousands of new Muslim residents could force everyone to pray 5 times a day or partake in mandatory foot washings in public areas.
Muslim residents had existed peacefully in Murfreesboro for more than 30 years, but ran into difficulty with their proposed mosque, as well as arson and vandalism, once Pat Robertson and his 700 Club landed in town. Having already obtained approval from the Rutherford County Commissioners to relocate and build a larger facility, new concerns were suddenly presented over the alleged increase in traffic the mosque could cause. Anti-Muslim activists and the 700 Club introduced every possible obstacle to delay or even derail the plans that they could. And that is when the proposed mosque site was burned and a sign was defaced with the words: “NOT WELCOME.” Hmmm…
Since Robertson stirred up the trouble pot, local Murfreesboro residents have come out in support of their Muslim neighbors and their right to worship. One local Christian church even offered their own church space to their Muslim brethren as a public sign of unity and in opposition to the hateful arson at the center’s site.
