The Last of the Litigation
Four years of court battles over the mosque and its cemetery finally come to a close.
ICM Cemetery Approved, With Conditions
The Board of Zoning Appeals approves the burial site, drawing on a geotechnical study conducted before the county's original site-plan approval four years earlier and a traffic analysis by the state Department of Transportation. Approval comes with five stipulations: gravesites are limited to 1,500; no monument may stand taller than one foot; no grave may be deeper than five feet; the exception expires if the property is ever sold to a non-religious entity; and ICM must keep detailed cemetery layout and gravesite records.
Cemetery Approval Challenged in Court
Plaintiffs opposed to the cemetery approval seek a court order to halt its construction and improvement, citing concerns about notice, soil contamination, traffic, and pending litigation.
The Building Litigation Finally Ends
On June 2, litigation over the mosque's opening comes to an end when the U.S. Supreme Court declines to hear a final appeal from opponents. By this point, the four-year legal fight has cost Rutherford County nearly $350,000 in legal fees.
The Cemetery Lawsuit Is Dismissed
A judge dismisses the lawsuit against ICM's cemetery approval. “The Rutherford County Board of Zoning Appeals did not act illegally, arbitrarily or capriciously by approving the special-use exception permit for the cemetery,” the court rules. “The special-use permit issued to the Islamic Center of Murfreesboro is valid as issued.” A supporter of the plaintiffs indicates the case may finally be over.