Editorial: Rolling Meadows unexplained vote on mosque stymies an attempt at inclusion

If the city of Rolling Meadows was willing to accommodate the Islamic Society of the Northwest Suburbs in 2004, why not in 2016?

That is the question still puzzling us, three days after a majority of Rolling Meadows aldermen denied the Islamic Society permission to relocate to a larger building, adjacent to the mosque it has occupied for 12 years.

The mosque is a significant Islamic institution in the Northwest suburbs, and has been in Rolling Meadows nearly 30 years.

In 2004, this same city council helped the Islamic Society remain in Rolling Meadows - the first time the group was moving from a smaller building in the city's manufacturing district into a bigger one. The council preferred the manufacturing district remain business-based, but the Islamic Society had already been there more than 15 years. Rolling Meadows gave the mosque a special permit to operate in a manufacturing district - and then amended city regs so no other house of worship could locate there.

Twelve years later, the Islamic Society is stretching at the seams again. But now, instead of finding a way to accommodate its plans, aldermen shut them down. A proposal to revoke the restriction against houses of worship in the manufacturing district - any house of worship, not just the mosque - failed 4-3 Tuesday.

What's changed? Any why?

We don't know, because three of the four aldermen who opposed letting the mosque move haven't explained their point of view in depth.

Alderman Tim Veenbaas, the only "no" voter to speak up, said he's seen how large houses of worship in industrial areas can hurt neighboring businesses - as parishioners pressure the municipality to limit the noise, traffic, air quality and more.

It's a valid concern, though not necessarily overwhelming. The mosque has demonstrated it is a responsible agent, and certainly it may be possible for the city and the mosque to work together to avoid any problems.

But Veenbaas' statements at least give some context to the debate. Without a deeper discussion from other opponents, it's impossible for the mosque and its supporters to address objections that almost no one has raised.

Rolling Meadows has had a bond with the Islamic Society, one the city itself forged. It is, as Mayor Tom Rooney said, "a valued member of our community."

The Islamic Society's supporters - which include leaders from St. Viator High School, Congregation Beth Tikvah and St. Colette Church, all of whom asked Rolling Meadows to grant the Islamic Society their new home - tried to persuade city leaders this was about something more, a demonstration of inclusiveness with suburban Muslims in an increasingly angry, fractured world.

Twelve years ago, the city basically told the Islamic Society, "We want you to stay here." Does it still want that?