(Detroit News) The U.S. government is suing the city of Troy, claiming the Oakland County community violated federal law for religious land use when it denied zoning approval for a mosque last year, officials said.
“Zoning laws that treat mosques, churches, synagogues, and other religious assemblies less favorably than nonreligious assemblies illegally restrict religious exercise in violation of the Religious Land Use and Institutionalized Persons Act,” Assistant Attorney General Eric Dreiband for the U.S. Department’s Civil Rights Division said Thursday in a statement.
“The Department of Justice is committed to ensuring that local governments do not discriminate against faith communities in violation of federal law.”
City attorney Lori Grigg Bluhm could not be reached for comment on Thursday, but the city issued the following statement in response to the lawsuit.
