(Free Lance-Star) The U.S. Department of Justice announced Friday that it has a lawsuit against Stafford County challenging “overly restrictive zoning regulations” that blocked the creation of a Muslim cemetery.
The suit claims that the county is in violation of the Religious Land Use and Institutionalized Persons Act, a federal law that protects religious institutions from unduly burdensome or discriminatory land use regulations.
The All Muslim Association of America, a Virginia-based nonprofit, planned to develop a cemetery on property it owns off Garrisonville Road in North Stafford. Its cemetery off Brooke Road has reached capacity.
In June 2016, a Stafford resident who lives across the street from the Garrisonville property learned of the association’s plans and emailed the Board of Supervisors with concerns about the effect of a cemetery on his well water.
