Authorities told the center that four pieces of heavy
construction equipment on the site were doused with an accelerant and one set
ablaze, said Camie Ayash, spokeswoman for the Islamic Center of Murfreesboro.
Federal investigators have not ruled it arson, saying only that the fire was
being probed and asked the public to call in tips.
Earlier, Ayash said that gasoline was poured on the
equipment but later backed off that statement.
"No threats, not at all," since the fire, Ayash
told The Associated Press. "We've had a tremendous amount of calls of
support." American Muslim leaders say the furor over the building of a
mosque near the ground zero World Trade Center site in New York City has
emboldened opposition groups to resist new mosques elsewhere.
Some say they oppose them because of infrastructure and
traffic problems. Others have implied that the mosque would be a haven for
terrorists.
The Islamic Center of Murfreesboro's planned expansion
has drawn increasingly vehement opposition from the community in recent weeks.
The proposed center on 15 acres would serve some 250 families.
Digging had begun at the site where a sign that marks it
as the future Islamic Center of Murfreesboro has been vandalized twice in the
past several months. But Ayash said the fire "makes everybody really on
edge."
Ayash said Islamic Center officials were contacted by the
sheriff's department around 4 a.m. Saturday. Someone walking by reported the
fire about 1:30 a.m.
Rutherford County resident Kevin Fisher has led protests
against the mosque, complaining of zoning issues, parking, traffic and a lack
of transparency in the county's planning approval process. He issued a
statement Saturday to the Daily News Journal of Murfreesboro.
"We in this community believe strongly in the rule
of law, and choose to settle our disagreements through peaceful deliberations
and discussion, not vigilantism. ...
We who stand in opposition to this mosque have made our
concerns known through proper legal channels and have conducted ourselves with
dignity, respect and out of a spirit of love for our community, and we will
continue to do so."
