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The land use provisions of the Religious Land Use and Institutionalized Persons Act of 2000 (RLUIPA), 42 U.S.C. §§ 2000cc, et seq., protect individuals, houses of worship, and other religious institutions from discrimination in zoning and landmarking laws (for information on RLUIPA's institutionalized persons provisions, please refer to the Civil Rights Division's Special Litigation Section ).
In passing this law, Congress found that the right to assemble for worship is at the very core of the free exercise of religion. Religious assemblies cannot function without a physical space adequate to their needs and consistent with their theological requirements. The right to build, buy, or rent such a space is an indispensable adjunct of the core First Amendment right to assemble for religious purposes. Religious assemblies, especially, new, small, or unfamiliar ones, may be illegally discriminated against on the face of zoning codes and also in the highly individualized and discretionary processes of land use regulation. Zoning codes and landmarking laws may illegally exclude religious assemblies in places where they permit theaters, meeting halls, and other places where large groups of people assemble for secular purposes. Or the zoning codes or landmarking laws may permit religious assemblies only with individualized permission from the zoning board or landmarking commission, and zoning boards or landmarking commission may use that authority in illegally discriminatory ways.
"Lost in all the political demagoguery about the proposed Muslim mosque and cultural center blocks from Ground Zero is the fact that denying zoning approval would violate one of the Republicans' favorite pieces of federal law, the Religious Land Use and Institutionalized Persons Act (RLUIPA).
"Sponsored by Senator Orin Hatch and passed unanimously by both houses of Congress in July 2000, this law clearly states "No government shall impose or implement a land use regulation that discriminates against any assembly or institution on the basis of religion or religious denomination." [emphasis added]
"The only reason anybody opposes this center is that it is Muslim -- a religious denomination. As a long-time zoning attorney and city planner, it's extremely clear to me that denial would be a blatant violation of this federal law that these same Republicans wrote and unanimously supported ten years ago.
If the City of New York denies the zoning approval sought for this site, it will blatantly violate RLUIPA and expose the city to one whopping lawsuit that is extremely likely to succeed.
Civil Rights Division Home Page
The land use provisions of the Religious Land Use and Institutionalized Persons Act of 2000 (RLUIPA), 42 U.S.C. §§ 2000cc, et seq., protect individuals, houses of worship, and other religious institutions from discrimination in zoning and landmarking laws (for information on RLUIPA's institutionalized persons provisions, please refer to the Civil Rights Division's Special Litigation Section ).
In passing this law, Congress found that the right to assemble for worship is at the very core of the free exercise of religion. Religious assemblies cannot function without a physical space adequate to their needs and consistent with their theological requirements. The right to build, buy, or rent such a space is an indispensable adjunct of the core First Amendment right to assemble for religious purposes. Religious assemblies, especially, new, small, or unfamiliar ones, may be illegally discriminated against on the face of zoning codes and also in the highly individualized and discretionary processes of land use regulation. Zoning codes and landmarking laws may illegally exclude religious assemblies in places where they permit theaters, meeting halls, and other places where large groups of people assemble for secular purposes. Or the zoning codes or landmarking laws may permit religious assemblies only with individualized permission from the zoning board or landmarking commission, and zoning boards or landmarking commission may use that authority in illegally discriminatory ways.
Click on the link for the whole law. Who passed this law? Why the Republican Congress in 2000!
Mosque at ground zero: Is it illegal to deny request? - Lynn Sweet
"Lost in all the political demagoguery about the proposed Muslim mosque and cultural center blocks from Ground Zero is the fact that denying zoning approval would violate one of the Republicans' favorite pieces of federal law, the Religious Land Use and Institutionalized Persons Act (RLUIPA).
"Sponsored by Senator Orin Hatch and passed unanimously by both houses of Congress in July 2000, this law clearly states "No government shall impose or implement a land use regulation that discriminates against any assembly or institution on the basis of religion or religious denomination." [emphasis added]
"The only reason anybody opposes this center is that it is Muslim -- a religious denomination. As a long-time zoning attorney and city planner, it's extremely clear to me that denial would be a blatant violation of this federal law that these same Republicans wrote and unanimously supported ten years ago.
If the City of New York denies the zoning approval sought for this site, it will blatantly violate RLUIPA and expose the city to one whopping lawsuit that is extremely likely to succeed.
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Well of course the Catholic Church has the Right to build a church next to a playground - but should they?
Well of course the Catholic Church has the Right to build a church next to a playground - but should they?
They don't need to...they build their own playgrounds.Well of course the Catholic Church has the Right to build a church next to a playground - but should they?
Well of course the Catholic Church has the Right to build a church next to a playground - but should they?
If you're gonna quote John Oliver (The Daily Show) at least have the decency to put quotes around it and give him credit you fuck'n plagiarizing hack.
Well of course the Catholic Church has the Right to build a church next to a playground - but should they?
The stupidity coming from this post is outstanding.
Well of course the Catholic Church has the Right to build a church next to a playground - but should they?
The stupidity coming from this post is outstanding.
Apparently, unless an Act of Congress is responsible for increasing Government Spending by at least $500 B, it is unpopular among the stupid.
That's the line they are going with CG. Americans are too stupid to understand the first amendment. However the real hypocrisy is that they forget that the first amendment also provides for freedom of protest. And morality must just be a "Christian thing".
Modbert - you were 9 years old when the towers came down. Guess what? Pre 9/11 was a whole different world. And most of us liked it better then. Do yourself a favor and see how Islamic terrorism has changed homeland security It's not just a bumper sticker son.
The stupidity coming from this post is outstanding.
Apparently, unless an Act of Congress is responsible for increasing Government Spending by at least $500 B, it is unpopular among the stupid.
Actually it's funny, and pokes fun at RWers who have dominated the MB on the issue of Muslims in Manhattan. Pokes fun and exposes their hypocrisy.
The "stupidity" was taken from The Daily Show, a progam not likely to be on the list of most RWers.
