BROKEN ARROW, Okla. — There is an empty field in Broken Arrow, just south of the Creek Turnpike, on Olive Avenue. It could, soon, be home to an Islamic Mosque.
“This doesn’t have to do with religious freedom, it has to do with the will of the people, the constituents, in that area,” Sen. Dana Prieto said.
WATCH: A NEW MOSQUE? Broken Arrow planning commission set to consider rezoning request
Sen. Prieto is keeping a close eye on progress, as the Broken Arrow Planning Commission is set to vote on a rezoning request. If approved, the field would be transformed into a site for a mosque and a small retail area.
A public hearing is scheduled for Dec. 18, at 5:30 p.m., at Broken Arrow City Hall.
Ahead of that meeting, 2 News listened to people on both sides of the issue.
James Deming is in favor of the development.
“If you wanna believe in Christ, or Buddha, or Allah, or the flying spaghetti monster, you have the right to do that,” Deming said.
Dillon Mayes, on the other hand, has some reservations, pointing to America's large Christian population.
“How can we create something, in our nation, that is the exact opposite of that, and think that it’s going to work out long-term?” Mayes said.
The Islamic Society of Tulsa, the group spearheading the project, estimates up to 10,000 Muslims live in the Tulsa metro.
“They’re very kind, friendly and generous people, so I think there is a lot of misunderstanding, and people that just don’t know a Muslim, haven’t interacted with a Muslim,” Deming said, “They have a misconception, that, because of jihadists, overseas in the Middle East, that all Muslims are like that.”
Currently, Oklahoma is home to 12 mosques. Oklahoma City has six, Tulsa and Lawton have two, and Stillwater and Ardmore have one.
“We need to understand that everyone does not have the same faith, but at the same time, that does not mean that my faith tells me to, just go along with what the public says is OK,” Mayes said.
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