Building of Mosque Questioned Outside Fresno, CA

September 13, 2000

Source: The Fresno Bee

On September 13, 2000, The Fresno Bee reported that "Muslim residents who want to build a mosque west of Fresno and neighbors who worry the proposed worship center will disrupt their rural home setting are hoping the Fresno County Board of Supervisors can help resolve their dispute...On Tuesday, supervisors listened to representatives of the Muslim Society of Central California, who plan to build a 14,000-square-foot mosque just outside Fresno city limits at West Menlo Drive and North Annapolis Avenue near Highway 99. The board also heard from residents who live near the proposed mosque and fear it would bring too much traffic to an area they say is already congested....Since July, the Muslim Society and neighbors have reached a compromise on the parking issue, but the traffic issue remains a sticking point....Shahid Hami, president-elect of the Muslim Society, said his group wants to be a good neighbor to residents. The mosque will be built to blend in with the surroundings and won't include the traditional Islamic dome and minarets, he said...'We do not want to be a nuisance....We've gone out of our way to accommodate their concerns....We understand the sophistication of the neighborhood and won't compromise that.'"