ACLU files lawsuit against Miss. city who denied plans for mosque

HORN LAKE, Miss. (WLBT) - American Civil Liberties Union is bringing a lawsuit to a North Mississippi city.

The ACLU is suing the city of Horn Lake, claiming their board of aldermen denied zoning approval to build a mosque in the city because of anti-Muslim sentiment.

The board and Horn Lake planning commission denied the request made by Ray Elk.

“I raised all my six children in DeSoto County, they all go to school there and they have a right to go to their mosque and pray and practice their faith like every Christian,” Elk said.

The aldermen cited concerns about insufficient water supply for fire sprinklers and the possibility of traffic and noise.

“If you let them build it, they will come. I think we need to stop it before it gets here,” Alderman John Jones said during a meeting in April.

Elk filed a suit against the city, claiming his plans for a mosque met all of the requirements for approval.

“The city’s decision was clearly motivated by anti-Muslim bigotry,” said ACLU of Mississippi Legal Director Josh Tom. “People of every faith should have a safe place to practice their religion, and we intend to make sure that’s the case in Horn Lake and DeSoto County.”

Click here to read through the lawsuit.