metro >> on the cover

THE ZIONIST ORGANIZATION OF

AMERICA-MICHIGAN REGION IS PROUD TO

INTRODUCE THE FIRST PROGRAM IN A SERIES

ON ANTI-SEMITISM.

ZOA-MI & Doc EMET PRODUCTIONS WILL

PRESENT THE MICHIGAN FILM PREMIERE OF:

UNMASKED

LIMPER

THE THREAT TO CIVILIZATIC

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ELIE WiESEL. PH. 0.,

AL;THOR, NOBE_L. LAUREATE

MONDAY, FEBRUARY 6, 2012

7:30 PM

THE BERMAN CENTER FOR THE

PERFORMING ARTS

JEWISH COMMUNITY CENTER

6600 WEST MAPLE ROAD, WEST BLOOMFIELD

THIS GROUND BREAKING DOCUMENTARY FILM

WILL BE FOLLOWED BY A DISCUSSION

WITH THE FILM'S PRODUCER/DIRECTOR

GLORIA GREENFIELD.

TICKETS ARE AVAILABLE FOR $7 (STUDENTS FREE) AT THE

BERMAN CENTER BOX OFFICE (248-661-1900)

OR VISIT HTTP://BERMANCENTER.JCCDET.ORG/TICKETING.

CO-SPONSORS: ZIONIST ORGANIZATION OF

AMERICA-MICHIGAN REGION,

HOLOCAUST MEMORIAL CENTER,

STANDWITHUS MICHIGAN,

B'NAI B'RITH INTERNATIONAL GREAT LAKES REGION.

SUPPORTERS: TEMPLE SHIR SHALOM, ISRAEL ADVOCACY COMMITTEE

OF ADAT SHALOM, AISH HATORAH, TEMPLE ISRAEL,

WALK FOR ISRAEL, CONGREGATION BETH SHALOM, TEMPLE BETH EL'S

ISRAEL CHAI COMMITTEE, CONGREGATION B'NAI MOSHE,

GREATER DETROIT CHAPTER OF HADASSAH,

YOUNG ISRAEL OF OAK PARK, BAIS CHABAD OF FARMINGTON HILLS,

CONGREGATION BETH AHM, SARA TUGMAN BAIS CHABAD, AKIVA PTO,

CONGREGATION SHAAREY ZEDEK.

14 January 19 .2012

EAGLE SCHOOL SALE
FROM PAGE 1

offer from the ICA. It charges the
school board with violating its own
policies regarding the sale of property.
While the district doesn't deny not
seeking buyers for Eagle, it says the
ICA pursued them while others did
not, and that the deal made financial
sense and was both legal and proper..
"The closing on the sale of Eagle
does not impact our lawsuit:'
Greenstein says, noting that the case
continues. "What is unfortunate is that
this could have been easily avoided
and resolved if FPS had simply set a
method and procedure for the sale,
publicized it and placed the property
on the market:'
Greenstein resents what he says is
the district's efforts to paint him and
others questioning the procedure as
bigots.
"This isn't about the ICA; they may
have well been the winner of an
open and fair process:' he says.
"Unfortunately, the district's obstinacy
and deception has become very clear
as this case has evolved:'
Not surprisingly, the ICA is pleased
the sale is moving forward. According
to its website, it has raised $1,054,157
toward its $1.2 million goal for the
establishment of the Muslim center.
"We are very pleased to have closed
on the building:' said ICA President
Dr. Firas Nashef."We are continuing
to work with the township and our
neighbors in the next steps of the pro-
cess. Most of our member families live
in the immediate area of the building,
and we look forward to sharing our
plans of creating a religious and cul-
tural center that will benefit the entire
community. The ICA will be honored
to join West Bloomfield's impressive
list of community and cultural orga-
nizations."
The original suit was rejected Sept.
21, when Oakland County Circuit
Court Judge Rae Lee Chabot ruled
that Greenstein and Sternberg did not
have standing because they were not
uniquely affected by the board actions.
They filed an appeal on Sept. 27 and,
in mid-December, the school district
asked for it to be dismissed. A three-
judge panel failed to unanimously sup-
port the district and the case remains
in the Michigan Court of Appeals
where it could stay for months.
If the district does not win the case,
it will go back to the Oakland Circuit
Court where, this time, it would be
judged on its merits and would likely
take many more months.
In addition to the legal controversy,
some in the Jewish and general com-
munity have expressed concerns about
the ICA, claiming they are linked to
anti-American, anti-Israel and anti-
Semitic groups. They cite the hosting

of controversial speakers, alleged
funding from Saudi Arabia and
links to the Islamic Society of North
America (ISNA) and the Council on
American Islamic Relations (CAIR) as
the basis for their concerns.
Jewish organizations, such as the
Jewish Community Relations Council
(JCRC) and the Anti-Defamation
League (ADL), have not joined in
these criticisms, and have, expressed
concerns that some critics are express-
ing anti-Muslim sentiments.
If the sale is affirmed by the courts,
the ICA will need to submit plans
for the site to the West Bloomfield
Township Zoning Board. Its decision
will need to be ratified by the town-
ship board. Critics will likely use those
forums to raise their concerns.
Sara Roediger, the township's senior
planner, says discussions with the ICA
are under way.
"We've met with some engineers
and architects, and we've seen some
plans, but they don't leave them with
us," she says. "Nothing has been sub-
mitted."
She says that as long as a judge
doesn't order the sale stopped, the
township will begin its process when-
ever the necessary forms and plans
are officially submitted. The process
includes official notification to the
community and a series of public
hearings.
A page on the ICAs website, titled
"MCC in West Bloomfield:' identifies
the ICA as "a faith-based community
nonprofit ... founded in the early
1980s by a group of families whose
goal was to establish a place where
Muslims could gather to share their
beliefs and values and build bridges
with other groups of faith, Muslim
and non-Muslim:'
It says 100 member families "regu-
larly visit to pray, observe religious
holidays ... attend lectures and
workshops and participate in youth
mentorship programs. Another 100
families may participate occasionally
as non-members throughout the year:'
It anticipates that Friday afternoon
prayers could attract 200-250 wor-
shipers and says "available facilities"
are to include a prayer hall (mosque),
library and study space, childcare,
gym and youth play area.
It continues "the facility will serve
as West Bloomfield's newest com-
munity center geared to serving
the different needs of American
Muslim families in the local area
as well as serving other faith-based
community members:' noting that
West Bloomfield is also home to
the Chaldean Cultural Center and
the Jewish Community Center of
Metropolitan Detroit. I 1

