FARMERSVILLE (1080 KRLD) - The Department of Justice has settled a discrimination claim against the Collin County village of Farmersville over an Islamic cemetery. The 34 acre cemetery will be build despite religious-inflamed comments by elected officials to try to keep it out.
"Relief. We're appreciative of the DOJ's efforts to reach a resolution." said Asad Rahman, attorney for the Islamic Association of Collin County. He also praised "The City of Farmersville's efforts to kind of move forward and put this behind everyone."
The Association had tried to buy the land in April of 2015 after cemeteries in Denton and Dallas said they are running out of space. Once the news hit Farmersville, the public reaction was fierce. According to court documents, "Emails were circulated around the community making claims that City officials had secretly approved the cemetery to avoid public scrutiny and that the Islamic Association was trying to build a terrorist training center."
There were also threats "To desecrate the site of the proposed cemetery by dumping pig blood and pig heads on it." the documents say.
"This is a place where we wanted to bury our loved ones. It's as simple as that. There's no ulterior motive, no other agenda." said Rahman
Under terms of the settlement city officials are getting training to understand religious land use laws.
The exact language in the settlement says the settlement "Requires the Defendant, its officers, employees, agents, successors, and all other persons in concert or participation with them, to: a. Take actions necessary to restore, as nearly as practicable, the Islamic Association and its members to the position they would have been in but for the Defendant’s unlawful conduct, including but not limited to granting the necessary approvals for the Islamic Association to use the Property as a cemetery; and b. Take actions necessary to prevent the recurrence of such unlawful conduct in the future, including but not limited to providing RLUIPA (Religious Land Use and Institutionalized Persons Act of 2000) training to the Defendant’s personnel, establishing procedures to address complaints of RLUIPA violations, and maintaining records and submitting reports relating to RLUIPA compliance."
An attempt to get comment from the City of Farmersville was unsuccessful