Religious Freedom Means All Religions
When I was growing up, just like many New Mexican Catholics from the immigrant community, my parents sent me to Catechism, Confirmation, and took me to church at San Jose Parish every Sunday. At the time I didn’t really like it, but looked forward to seeing the friends I made there. Something I did not realize is that this was an opportunity to be in community with other immigrants who spoke Spanglish with each other, and it never needed to be questioned amongst us that Catholicism is the dominant religious community in New Mexico.
As an immigrant who grew up in a religious community, having the ability to practice it to its fullest extent is something vital for preserving and reconnecting with one’s own culture and faith. Although I am no longer a practicing Catholic, I am eternally grateful for the relationships I made with other Mexican immigrant kids and the positive experiences that are unique to Mexican Catholic practices. It’s important that this is not only accessible to immigrants of one specific type of faith, but to immigrants of all faiths.
The NM Entiende project educates New Mexicans about how using religious or deeply held beliefs to discriminate impact daily lives. We usually consider this in the context of healthcare, but this is about an example of how deeply held beliefs can impact inviting people and communities into our neighborhoods.
Currently, there is a fight to block the Albuquerque Islamic Center from building a new Masjid, an Islamic place of worship, in the North Valley. On July 1st, the Bernalillo County Planning Commission held a hearing to discuss the proposed Mosque after the Maria Diers Neighborhood Association filed an appeal to prevent the Masjid from coming into fruition. During the hearing, a few public comments would bring up traffic concerns and then end it off by saying “Christ is king.” There were others who were much more explicit in their hate, saying things like “Islam is not here to assimilate into our Western Judeo-Christian society.” A common theme in the opposition to the proposed mosque is how they use their own faith, Christianity, to deny Muslims a new space that fits their growing community to practice their religion.
Despite the opposition, a majority of the people who packed the room were in fact members of an interfaith community that stood in solidarity with the Muslim community. A pastor for the Presbyterian Church up the street from the Albuquerque Islamic Center’s current location said, “I implore the North Valley to take advantage of a wonderful new neighbor,” and talked about how welcoming both groups are with each other, including sharing space and food during Ramadan.
The hearing concluded with the Maria Diers Neighborhood Association’s appeal being denied, and the Mosque is allowed to continue with some conditions. Most of those conditions were based on compliance with zoning and building codes (eg. setback from the street, landscaping, etc.), but some don’t feel fair. For instance, the Masjid would not be allowed to have amplified sound outside of the building. This might be due to noise ordinances in that part of Bernalillo County, but why are bells rung at the top of every hour allowed at Christian and Catholic churches but the Muslim call to prayer is not? Another condition is that a school is not allowed to be included in the building. The reason is unclear but I question why can Catholic Churches have schools for Catechism and Confirmation, but a Mosque can’t have a school for Quran or Hadith Study? While it’s a disappointment that those parts had to get removed, it’s important to add that the Albuquerque Islamic Center has been receptive to community feedback, and had already removed the plans for the school and loudspeakers for the call to prayer prior to the July 1st hearing.
The fight for the Mosque in the North Valley continues as the Maria Diers Neighborhood Association has filed another appeal against the Albuquerque Islamic Center. The Board of County Commissioners will hold a public hearing on October 14 in the Ken Sanchez Commission Chambers at the Bernalillo County Building on 415 Silver Ave SW. I strongly encourage folks to sign up to give public comment in support of the proposed Masjid. People of any faith in New Mexico deserve to have a space where they can practice their religion safely and New Mexicans should have access to the care and community they need, regardless of who they are or who they love, and regardless of anyone else's religious beliefs