After years of delay caused by protest, litigation and at least one act of domestic terrorism, the Islamic Center of Murfreesboro, Tennessee is finally set to open its doors.

“I am walking out of the county building with the permit in my hand,” said Essam Fathy, head of the building committee for the Islamic Center of Murfreesboro, on Tuesday afternoon.
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County officials granted the mosque a temporary conditional occupancy permit on Tuesday after the building passed a state fire marshal’s inspection.

Eboo Patel, president of the Chicago-based Interfaith Youth Core... said the mosque’s opening on Friday will show that religious freedom protects all faiths.

“As a Muslim I think this is the blessings of Ramadan,” he said. “As an American, I think this is the blessing of America.”

This is a great day for religious liberty, emerging from some very sad and cynical days. In the end, constitutional principles won out over fear-mongering and divisive politics, showing once again the importance of maintaining our most precious freedoms. Kudos to Islamic Center congregants for their patience, perseverance, and trust in the judicial process to get this right.