Plans are reasonable, Aref Assaf
Tuesday, July 10, 2007
Daily Record
To the Editor:
I wish to thank the Daily Record for its positive editorial on the plans by our
Muslim community to build a mosque in Rockaway. Your timely editorial, coupled
with previous coverage in the paper, speaks volumes about the paper's
journalistic integrity and its goal of representing all sides of a given issue.
We are confident that the mosque plans will be approved because our submitted
plans are both reasonable and will not infringe on the rights of others. We are
most appreciative of the support we received thus far from leaders of other
faiths in the borough and from residents, both Muslims and non-Muslims. It is
our hope that the center, once established, will be a gateway for mutual
understanding among members of the different faiths in our county.
AREF ASSAF
President
American Arab Forum
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Note: Several responses were published by the newspaper:
Here are two samples:
Mosque would burden taxpayers
Wednesday, July 11, 2007
To the Editor:
I live in the northern part of Denville, close to Rockaway. In regard to a
proposed mosque in Rockaway, it should be denied and the public should agree
that it be denied.
How can you transport 130 to 150 families to and from a location without
additional traffic? This could mean another traffic light being added to Route
46. And what are you going to do on Main Street in Rockaway, which already is a
congested road. Also, there is only parking for 111 cars on site, which means
that the overflow would be in the street or in adjacent lots.
Another question is that as a house of worship, the mosque would pay no taxes in
Rockaway, which means more police hours being paid for by taxpayers along with
road repairs and other expenses.
I hope that the town will consider this, and not make the change to accommodate
the mosque.
STEVE LOEHR
Denville
Muslims in U.S. are fortunate
Saturday, July 14, 2007
Letter To the Editor:
With all due respect, and I sincerely mean that, I ask President Aref Assaf,
American-Arab Forum, if he writes (Daily Record 7/10/07) the same words, "We are
most appreciative of the support we received thus far from leaders of faiths in
the borough and from residents, both Muslim and non-Muslims. It is our hope that
the center, once established, will be a gateway for mutual understanding among
members of the different faiths in our county," to the Muslims in Iraq? Can he
tell them how good you and yours have it in the United States of America?
bert mattson
Rockaway
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