Source: International Herald Tribune
Wire Service: AP
http://www.iht.com/articles/ap/2007/10/01/america/NA-FEA-GEN-US-Muslim-Retreat.php
WALKERSVILLE, Maryland: The corn fields and church steeples proudly displayed on Walkersville's municipal seal reflect traditions that some residents say are threatened by plans for a Muslim mosque and convention site in the rural town of 5,600.
The Ahmadiyya Muslim Community USA, whose origins trace back to a Pakistani holy man at the turn of the 20th century, insists it will be a peaceful, friendly neighbor. But its proposal — including an annual gathering of thousands of Ahmadis — is being resisted by the town's overwhelmingly white, Christian residents who are worried about Islamic extremists as the Iraq war rages on.