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"Editors Note: Comments were sadly disabled on this story due to issues overnight Sunday with commenters. Please be respectful of others in commenting."

Heh, someone must have mentioned that Muhammad was a child-raping mass murderer or something.

Anyway, this is actually pretty typical of local petty local tyrants who love to quash owners' plans for what they foolishly believed was their private property.

I wonder if the protestors are prepared to compensate the owner of the property for the loss of use of said property.

If not, and they're essentially just saying, "We don't like this," they can dislike it all they want while pounding sand.

If they're willing to put their money where their mouth is and offer a deal, they'd at least have my respect, despite my disagreement with their opinion.

They should sit back and analyze what their response would have been if local community members, upon hearing of plans to build a mosque, had voiced opposition on a similar basis to the current opposition.

Tennessee? I would expect this foolishness in Massachusetts, or NY.
The local government needs to be careful. Where I used to live, a businessman bought a prime piece of real estate, but the local government said he couldn't build on it because there was an old historic tree on the property. RRRRRRRR went the chainsaw and look, no more tree!

In the proud land of Jack Daniels, these Muslims are going to have an uphill climb. The county isn't dry; as yet we still have political process to be answered to.

I agree this is bullshite, it's not only mosques that cause this.

Here's a similar situation in Mississippi news today about a store owner who has a beer permit but can't sell beer because he's 600 feet from a church.

http://www.wtva.com/cgi/display2.pl?view=news_story-4

... sucks, don't it?

Then again, even though the laws are stopping this, many Southern church-goers would probably be glad to not have to go far for a beer after Sunday services. ;)

where is the aclu when you need them? oh, scratch that. They would most likely take the muslims' side in this. if it was a catholic church the guy would have some hope - but not in this case.

He gambled when he bought the building, thinking he could get the city to waive its 300' buffer zone law. Stupid law; bad assumption.

Sotosoroto, did you even read the link?

Hope the restaurant doesn't server any Pork dishes or Bacon or Ham Sandwiches...


In honor of this Restaurant Owner, I'm going to eat a Pulled Pork BBQ sandwich and wash it down with a Beer.

Actually reading that article it seems to me that all he would have to do to make an acceptable compromise would be to drop the idea of making it essentially a late-night bar. It doesn't strike me as an unreasonable protest. 191 feet doesn't seem like very far.

But, let's have a look for ourselves, shall we?

"The mosque, which also has a walled courtyard, is at 100 13th Street; the restaurant will be at 1105 Forest Ave." -KnoxNews

Mosque:
http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&source=s_q&hl=en&geocode=&q=Fort+SAnders&sll=38.916682,-82.22168&sspn=1.842016,3.971558&ie=UTF8&ll=35.96387,-83.929362&spn=0.000126,0.003878&z=18&layer=c&cbll=35.963768,-83.929312&panoid=3MdSExdyUL59aUECNVfncQ&cbp=12,85.16101792964501,,0,2.855153413301305

Back-end of what, as far as I can tell, was the building in question, from opposite corner of mosque (you can see the wall they talk about on your right there):
http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&source=s_q&hl=en&geocode=&q=Fort+SAnders&sll=38.916682,-82.22168&sspn=1.842016,3.971558&ie=UTF8&ll=35.964179,-83.928745&spn=0,359.996122&z=18&layer=c&cbll=35.964142,-83.928823&panoid=6OUx8QlZeSm_x0JhTL14qQ&cbp=12,115.78448197264063,,0,-7.435720196817474

The building itself (as far as I can tell):
http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&source=s_q&hl=en&geocode=&q=Fort+SAnders&sll=38.916682,-82.22168&sspn=1.842016,3.971558&ie=UTF8&ll=35.963779,-83.927935&spn=0,359.996122&z=18&layer=c&cbll=35.963718,-83.928014&panoid=afpw0aG72ZvvMkONRbo_ew&cbp=12,3.8757682796946886,,0,-6.688832230012508

After looking at the location and giving it some thought, though, I don't think the people at the mosque have any right to interfere. 191ft as the crow flies, in this case, sounds like an excuse to try to control the content of the neighborhood. The owner of the restaurant-to-be sounds like he's being reasonable.

When I was young, my parents were not into alcohol and were Christian. They expressed their belief by refusing to eat at resturants that served alcohol. They didn't make a legal battle to encroach on the resturant owner's right to serve alcohol, or other people right to have alcohol during their meal.

And the White House has indicated that they feel Sharia Law can be honored and incorporated into our legal system! It is totally contrary to the Constitution and the Bill of Rights in regard to these matters and the rights of women, but they are behind this travesty! Go figure.