There’s a new development in a long-simmering battle over a mosque in Sterling Heights.
The city is being sued by the Justice Department.
It’s the latest chapter in Sterling Heights denial of a permit for a mosque. The American Islamic Community Center requested permission to build the mosque on 15 Mile near Ryan Road but was denied by the city’s Planning Commission, which cited land use criteria such as adjoining properties, insufficient parking, and size and height of the building.
The Justice Department lawsuit says the denial was a violation of religious rights.
The lawsuit also cited a statement by Sterling Heights Mayor Michael Taylor that the center try to make the mosque appear “less Middle Eastern.”
The city says in a statement that Sterling Heights has a reputation for inclusiveness and tolerance, and has two existing mosques, and a wide variety of other churches and temples.