Looney Oklahoma Religious Bigots Defeat Broken Arrow Mosque… For Now.

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.”

Yep, that’s right.

Wimpee didn’t reject the mosque because she’s a bigot who’s scared of religion that's different from hers. She also didn’t do it to pander to a raging crowd of Derplahomans. Nope, that’s not it at all. Although she likely would rubber-stamp a new Life Church campus – or any new development – without a second thought, this is a no-go due to infrastructure. Got it.

Although Wimpee hid behind obvious, disingenuous excuses in an effort to bolster the city’s defense in the inevitable lawsuit, Oklahoma politicians running for office were a little more forthcoming, and more than proud to pander to their fellow right-wing bigots.

For example, Charles McCall was quick and eager to hang up the banana and grandstand on something other than transphobia:

Wow. Pretty psycho, huh? Say what you want about McCall and his blatant pandering toward any conservative phobia, but you can’t question his anti-Islam credentials!

Actually, I guess you can.

Chip Keating – the self-proclaimed political outsider who is the son of former Governor Frank Keating – chimed in with a post that, while supporting the Broken Arrow City Council, also accused McCall of being too cozy with Muslims.

That’s hysterical. Imagine watching that video of McCall and thinking, “Yep – this guy is obviously in bed with Muslim extremists.”

Seriously, there has to be a better way for Chip to out-Islamophobe McCall. Perhaps he can start by changing the name of our kids' softball team from the Queen Bees to The Crusaders.

Naturally, Gentner Drummond couldn’t resist chiming in. Instead of addressing the actual issue – a local government blocking a zoning request because it involved a mosque – he played the slippery-slope boogeyman card and warned Oklahomans about Sharia law.

As a guy who thinks all religions are goofy and kind of weird in their own unique way, and should have no impact on our laws or legal code, I agree with Drummond on one narrow point.

Whether it’s Sharia law, the Ten Commandments, or the Jedi Code from Star Wars, the mythological stories and teachings of any religion should never supplant the Constitution, which… IS WHY THE MOSQUE SHOULD BE APPROVED IN THE FIRST PLACE! EVER HEARD OF THE FIRST AMENDMENT YOU PANDERING NUMBSKULLS!

Sorry. Had to get that off my chest.

Anyway, with Broken Arrow now staring down a likely lawsuit, and multiple statewide candidates already racing to out-Islamophobe one another on social media, I don't think this is the last we'll hear of the mosque. Expect it to stick around in campaign mailers, fundraising emails, and debate soundbites over the next year or so.

Stay with The Lost Ogle. We’ll keep you advised.