Northwest Herald: After not allowing mosque, city of Des Plaines to pay group $580,000

On June 6 the Northwest Herald reports:

"Imam Senad Agic, whose group filed the 2013 lawsuit, said the settlements are a satisfying end to what has been a very trying time, and vindication for a congregation that believed Des Plaines had discriminated against them.

“They broke our hearts when they denied us because these are Bosnian refugees who lost everything,” he said. He said that the group found a church in nearby Franklin Park that it has already turned into a mosque. But, he said, the money will “help us do renovations, construction that we need to turn the sanctuary there into a prayer hall.”

The legal fight in Des Plaines was one of a number of legal challenges stemming from similar disputes. Last month, not only was there a settlement of a lawsuit in New Jersey, but the U.S. Attorney’s Office in New Jersey confirmed that it is investigating Bayonne, New Jersey, where officials prevented a Muslim group from building a mosque there."

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