The Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) today highlighted a new report revealing how municipal zoning laws, conditional use permits, and local administrative processes are frequently used to mask systemic discrimination against proposed mosques.
The report was published in the Journal of the American Planning Association led by scholars at the University of California, Santa Cruz, and UCLA with funding from the University of California Institute of Transportation Studies.
CAIR’s San Francisco Bay chapter served as a community partner on the research, which documents how institutional and regulatory barriers are used to delay, restrict, or outright deny approval for new mosques under the guise of neutral land-use policies such as traffic, parking, and environmental concerns.
The study illustrates how community opposition often exploits discretionary local approval processes to target Muslim congregations, imposing disproportionate requirements that are rarely required of other religious institutions or commercial developments.
In a statement, CAIR-San Francisco Bay Area Executive Director Zahra Billoo said:
“This report confirms what Muslim communities across California and the nation have experienced for years: illegal discrimination against mosque projects under the guise of parking concerns. Discriminatory opposition to the establishment of mosques rarely announces itself openly. Instead, it often hides behind manufactured concerns about zoning codes. This is unacceptable and must no longer influence governmental decisions.”
In a statement, CAIR Deputy Director Edward Ahmed Mitchell said:
“We commend the Journal of the American Planning Association for releasing this detailed, important study. This report serves as a reminder that local governments must apply land-use policies fairly and without bias, fulfilling their legal obligations under federal civil rights laws like the Religious Land Use and Institutionalized Persons Act (RLUIPA). Otherwise, they should expect to continue facing accountability in a court of law.”
He called on municipal leaders, urban planners, and elected officials nationwide to review their land-use regulations and ensure transparent, equitable practices for all communities of faith.
To read the full summary of the study, visit the report on Phys.org.
CAIR’s mission is to protect civil rights, enhance understanding of Islam, promote justice, and empower American Muslims.
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