Last week, while covering the Broken Arrow Planning Commission’s legally sound, non-discriminatory vote to recommend approval of a rezoning request to build a mega-mosque on the outskirts of town, I noted that the issue was headed to the Broken Arrow City Council – where it would likely be rejected.
Well, I guess it sucks to be right!
Last night, while facing hundreds of right-wing protesters who think their religious sect is better than yours, the Broken Arrow City Council caved to pressure, showed its inner Islamophobia, and voted down the mosque rezoning request, kicking off what will ultimately be an expensive and unwinnable legal fight that will cost the city hundreds of thousands, if not millions, of dollars.
KJRH Channel 2 in Tulsa caught up with Broken Arrow Mayor Debra Wimpee to get her thoughts on the matter.
Instead of coming out and saying “I’m voting no because I’m an Islamophobic xenophobe,” or “I’m voting no because there are a lot of angry Christian nationalist bigots here and I want to be reelected,” she took the, uhm, wimpy way out and tried to spin the decision as nothing more than sound and practical city planning.
"I was really upset that a lot of people brought it about religion and that's not what that vote was for, in my opinion," Mayor Wimpee told 2 News. "(The land) wasn't even prepared for commercial use, much less adding commercial use and a place of assembly. There is not infrastructure in place to be able to do that. I'm talking about the road right in front that is not prepared, and it won't be in at least ten years.”