"The most wonderful things
about living here are all the
opportunities and activities."

— Helen Weingarden,
enjoying life at
Fox Run
since 2002

Tammy Betel of Farmington Hills, waited more than four hours to speak. A

longtime docent at the Holocaust Memorial Center in Farmington Hills, she
urged tolerance for all people.

support for Israel. Finkelstein also is
the author of The Holocaust Industry:
Reflections on the Exploitation of
Jewish Suffering.
A flier given to some people outside
of the board meeting called Finkelstein
an Israel basher and Holocaust
mocker ... spreading anti-Zionist,
anti-Semitic propaganda ..."After
concerns were raised by Franklin resi-
dents, the ICA canceled his talk at the
school.
Richard Spalter of West Bloomfield
told the board the sponsorship of
Finkelstein made him concerned that
the ICA "is an organization that hates
Jews." At the meeting, no one spoke on
behalf of the ICA.

"

Muslim Prejudice?
Robert Cohen, executive director of
the Jewish Community Relations
Council (JCRC) of Metropolitan
Detroit, and Betsy Kellman, regional
director of the Anti-Defamation
League (ADL), spoke out against what
they saw as the anti-Muslim senti-
ment of some opposing the sale.
Cohen said, "It needs to be acknowl-
edged that, at least for some of the
people here, their objections are not
based on procedure, but in opposition
to a Muslim centee
Kellman said she recalled that when
Akiva Hebrew Day School applied for
a permit in Lathrup Village, "there was
a hue and cry about a Jewish school.
Ten years later, we are talking about
the problems of a Muslim school or
community center." Addressing the
audience, she said, "When we hate
anyone, we end up hating everyone.
We should ask, `Why are we opposed?'"
Dawud Walid, executive director of
the Michigan office of the Council on
American-Islamic Relations (CAIR),
acknowledged that "a nice percentage
of people here are genuinely con-
cerned about the process',' but that for
others it was simply "stealth or cov-
ered bigotry against Muslims." He said
as an African American, he recognized
such tactics as racist.

Mohammed Malik of Farmington
Hills said he understood that things
some Muslims have done raise legiti-
mate concerns, but added, "I see a
hand of bigotry. If you want to send a
message to your children, it should be
one of openness and tolerance
Murray Kahn of Farmington Hills
said, "It's not religious intolerance on
the Jewish side; it's fear of religious
intolerance on the other side. What
we're fearing is our rule of law is going
to be taken over by religion."
Tom Thomas of West Bloomfield,
who lives on the north side of 14
Mile Road just west of the school,
didn't deny that anti-Muslim attitudes
played a role for some.
"There is some of that, and you
can't avoid it," he explained during
the wait before the discussion."It's
the human condition that people are
suspicious of one another. But the
process, the way the school board
handled it, created distrust. We want
an open, robust process that allows
public participation."
Marty Miller, his next-door neigh-
bor, agreed: "If you had a church or
something else buying the prop-
erty, you would have the community
involved. You can't blame the Islamic
Center for wanting to expand, but they
just can't avoid the people around
them."
One of the final speakers who roiled
both the board and remaining audi-
ence was attorney Steven Reifman,
president of the Olde Franklin Towne
Homeowners Association.
"I have nothing against Muslims:'
he told the board. "The Muslims here
may all be fine, but there is a part of
this community that is dangerous. We
don't want a 9-11 on the corner:'
He added, "They can go anywhere
and do this; it doesn't have to be here."

Board Reaction
Before the vote, several school board
members expressed discomfort with
the tone of the opposition, charging
Muslim School on page 10

When it comes to choices, no retirement community
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June 23 - 2011

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