Leaders of two Tulsa churches say they are “saddened” by Broken Arrow City Council’s Monday decision to reject a proposed mosque.
Ray Owens, senior pastor at north Tulsa’s Metropolitan Baptist Church, said his church is bothered by both the decision and how Muslims have been treated during discussion on the proposal.
While many opponents focused on traffic and infrastructure concerns during the council meeting, online furor over the proposal focused on keeping Islamic practice out of the Tulsa suburb. Councilors voted 4-1 against the proposal, pointing to incompatibility with the city’s comprehensive plan and infrastructure issues.
“Metropolitan Baptist Church affirms the sacred right of all people to freely practice their faith, and we are saddened by the decision not to approve the proposed mosque in Broken Arrow,” Owens told the Flyer Tuesday.
“We are particularly troubled by language used in this moment that demeans our Muslim brothers and sisters, as it runs counter to our Christian conviction that every person is created in the image of God and worthy of dignity, respect, and love of neighbor,” Owens said.
He said they are standing “in solidarity with all faith communities seeking to live out their beliefs peacefully and faithfully.”
That sentiment was echoed by Rev. Sam Powers, senior minister at Boston Avenue United Methodist Church in downtown Tulsa.
“It may seem odd to hear that a Christian church would be in favor of allowing a mosque in our area, but at Boston Avenue, we have a strong history of partnering with other religions,” Powers said.
He said they’ve hosted Ramadan dinner for the Raindrop Turkish House and noted last spring, he fasted on the Islamic holiday “in solidarity with my Muslim siblings and then we broke our fast together at the dinner.”
As far as the Broken Arrow decision, Powers is “saddened that mistrust seems to have won this round” but is “hopeful that a generous spirit will eventually win the day.”
Billy Hursh, a BA resident who spoke at the Monday night meeting, said his Lutheran church wouldn’t be met with the same scrutiny. Hursh, who is also a police officer, said he once had to patrol an area where a mosque is.
“During those years, I responded to hundreds of incidents, many of them violent in that area,” Hursh said. “The notable thing I wanted to share with you is the number of those incidents that were caused by people from that mosque — that number is zero.”
The Flyer reached out to a number of faith institutions around Tulsa and will update this story accordingly.
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