| Page 3 of 3 < |
Rejected Muslim Sect Keeps Faith
TOOLBOX   Resize
 Save/Share +
COMMENT
 Discussion Policy
 CLOSE
Comments that include profanity or personal attacks or other inappropriate comments or material will be removed from the site. Additionally, entries that are unsigned or contain "signatures" by someone other than the actual author will be removed. Finally, we will take steps to block users who violate any of our posting standards, terms of use or privacy policies or any other policies governing this site. Please review the full rules governing commentaries and discussions. You are fully responsible for the content that you post.
|
Some Walkersville residents said they would welcome the Ahmadi community, but others were not so sure.
In blogs and letters and e-mails to town officials, they expressed their disdain and fear of the sect and Muslims in general.
"I would think by now some smart local would start a potbellied pig business and you could all guess where I would think he or she would dump the waste," wrote one blogger.
"Does anyone realize that Islam is taking over the US?" wrote another to the town. "Does anyone realize that our children will be indoctrinated into a hostile religion that is using our freedoms against us?"
It was a painful process for the Ahmadis.
"I didn't feel insulted so much as sad that people didn't know what we believe," said Uzma Ahmad, a Potomac homemaker who attended some of the meetings.
When Walkersville's Board of Zoning Appeals rejected the proposal, saying the facility would create too much traffic and threaten the town's water supply, the Ahmadis chose not to fight the decision, even after the landowner filed a religious-discrimination lawsuit against the town last month.
"We made a very good effort over there," said Zafar. "We did everything we could humanly do to get permission in Walkersville. When the result turned out to be against our request, then we realized that we have reached a limit of what we can humanly do, and this is a matter which is in God's hands."
